Secret Service Seizes 35 EBT Skimmers, Blocking $36.5 Million in NYC SNAP Fraud
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 22
Secret Service Seizes 35 EBT Skimmers, Blocking $36.5 Million in NYC SNAP Fraud
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 22
Summary
A three-day June sweep across Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens found 35 skimming devices on checkout terminals and averted an estimated $36.5 million in fraud, the Secret Service said.
The devices captured EBT card data and PINs, allowing criminals to clone cards and drain SNAP benefits; the agency said this was its fourth anti-skimming operation in New York City this year.
Haywood Talcove of LexisNexis, who accompanied the operation, said some bodegas and delis appeared to function as "EBT ATMs"—stocked with expired food while facilitating organized benefit theft rather than legitimate grocery sales.
The broader scam costs consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion a year, according to the FBI, and officials say many rings are transnational; New York state plans to begin issuing chip-enabled EBT cards in early 2027.
California slashed EBT fraud by 76% with chip cards. Why must New York's vulnerable wait until 2027 for this proven fix?
With stolen food benefits funding global crime, is outdated EBT card technology a national security risk?
New York’s EBT Skimming Epidemic: $52 Million in SNAP Benefits Stolen and the Fight for Reform
Overview
New York City has become the center of a major law enforcement crackdown on EBT card-skimming, with the Secret Service leading a large-scale operation in June 2026. This effort exposed how EBT skimming has turned many local bodegas and delis into fronts for trafficking stolen benefits, rather than serving as real food retailers. Experts observed that these stores often act as 'EBT ATMs,' focusing on moving stolen card information instead of selling food. The operation highlighted the widespread and organized nature of EBT fraud, showing how vulnerable individuals and taxpayer programs are being exploited on a large scale.