Food stamp recipients across the country are learning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are no longer being replaced when they are stolen.

A Hogansville woman and her two kids are among those who are out of luck in getting their food stamps replaced after thieves managed to access her account and empty out her benefits.

Officials are aware of the problem but say they cannot do anything now that the law allowing federal funds to replace stolen benefits has expired.

The Hogansville woman, who did not wish to be named, said $400 was taken from her account overnight. She doesn’t know how they got access to her account whether it was a card skimmer or some other type of electronic fraud but her benefits were taken several states away while she slept.

“They disappeared off my card at 12:06 a.m. to three different locations. It was three separate transactions. One was in the Bronx, one was in Philadelphia, one was in Tampa, and it cleared my card out,” she said.

The victim stated she was aware of criminals taking people’s benefits because her mother’s were stolen sometime around Thanksgiving. Her mother was able to apply to get hers replaced but she was told the law that required states to replace SNAP benefits stolen via card skimming, card cloning and similar methods had expired on Dec. 20, 2024.

“My mother’s was stolen several months ago, so I kind of had a head heads up. I started changing my PIN number pretty regularly to try to avoid it. But somehow, yeah, they disappeared,” she said. ”I’m in a Facebook group where a bunch of people were talking about it, and it seemed like the Philadelphia the Philadelphia thing is pretty common. So in my opinion, at this point, I would think they would be investigating where these funds are being spent.”

The victim stated she and her two kids didn’t go hungry because of the lost funds, but many, like her mother, don’t know where their food is going to come from without assistance.

“It definitely causes a hardship, especially right now, because I’m having to compensate for losing $400 worth of groceries at the same time that I’m having to pay a $350 light bill because of the cold this month, she said. “It’s definitely causing a hardship, but I’ve worked really hard to be in a place where when something like this happens it doesn’t take me out.”

The victim recommended checking your SNAP benefits regularly and turning your card off via the app when it’s not being used. Cards can also be deactivated out of state which would have helped her.

The US Food and Nutrition Service offers several tips to help avoid benefits being stolen.

4 Avoid simple PINs. Number combinations such as 1111, 1234 or 9876 may be easy for others to guess.

4Keep your PIN and card number secret. Do not share your PIN or card number with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine.

4Beware of phishing. State agencies and EBT processors will never call or text to ask for your PIN or card number.

4Change your PIN often. Change your PIN at least once a month, right before your benefit issuance date.

4Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If you see any, change your PIN right away to stop the thief from making new purchases. Report suspicious activity to your local SNAP office.

4Contact your local SNAP office if you think you are the victim of card skimming and your SNAP benefits were stolen, contact your local SNAP office.