Advocates argue for a better system to prevent users from losing their benefits to hackers.
– Illinoisans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed themselves and their families are now being paid back the money fraudsters stole.
Elizabeth Fandl lives in Berwyn. She was one of those targeted by thieves. She's on a fixed income and she really depends on the SNAP money she gets every month.One day, a few months ago, she checked her Link Card balance and discovered all her money had suddenly disappeared.Elizabeth Fandl had SNAP funds stolenThe last amount she received in late February was for more than $200, the last time she received the pandemic-boosted amount.But then, an unusual transaction appeared.
"And they said we are looking into that. There has been a high incidence of hacking and you have definitely been hacked."Trey Daly is the Public Benefits Practice Group Director for Legal Aid Chicago. "We're continuing to see people whose SNAP is stolen. The most recent case we've seen is from June," said Daly.Nationwide SNAP benefits stolen by scammers has skyrocketed, according to the data analytics firm, LexisNexis Risk Solutions."The number of cards being stolen from the food insecure went from 18,000 in Q4 to over 250,000 police reports since then," said Talcove.
Illinois' plan was not approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service until two months later, in May.
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