Scammers Are Stealing Millions From Food Stamp Recipients. Congress Could Fix It — but Won’t. by Eli Hager October 13, 2026, 6:00 am

https://www.propublica.org/article/food-stamp-snap-benefits-theft-skimmers-fraud?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=feature Reporting Highlights Lamborghinis and Food Stamps? Trump officials claim many SNAP recipients are scammers, even as statistics show they’re far more likely to be victims. Romanian Organized Crime: Transnational gangs, who once got rich siphoning funds from credit and debit cards, have now turned to pillaging SNAP benefits. The Chip Solution: Most SNAP theft could be blocked by adding microchips to outdated magnetic-stripe cards, but Congress won’t fund the move. Scammers Are Stealing Millions From Food Stamp Recipients. Congress Could Fix It — but Won’t. Fraudsters stole $470 million last year from Americans who need help paying for food. Adopting the same microchip that credit cards have had for years would prevent most of the theft, but Congress won’t pay for it.