Latest news with #KaidenBickmeyer
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How grocery stores are combatting SNAP benefit thefts in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — NBC4 Investigates is hearing from people who are being robbed; people using SNAP benefits, once known as food stamps, are logging in to their accounts to find their money is gone. Now, we are getting a look at the first line of defense: the stores where we all shop. A Columbus market on the north side showed how it keeps customers safe — by using a device that blocks others from tampering with their credit card machines. These by no means are everywhere and SNAP cards are an easier target because they don't have the microchip technology, which became widely used in 2015. That means millions of dollars are being stolen from those relying on this money to survive. 'It kind of hurt my feelings badly because that's all I had for that week,' SNAP fraud victim Kaiden Bickmeyer said. 'I cried. I mean, I'm struggling and it's not fair to my kids,' SNAP fraud victim Mindy Hurley said. Those are just two of the victims we spoke with who have experienced snap theft potentially through skimming. A skimmer is a device that steals your card information. It's something that Weiland's market in North Columbus keeps an eye out for. How security upgrade could help Ohioans who have SNAP benefits stolen 'We have anti-skimming devices at all the pin pads. So what that does when someone puts in their card it then scrambles the information. So if someone does try to come in and skim information from it, there's nothing to get,' Weiland's Market Co-Owner Daniel Phillips said. He's had them at his store for about a year. 'If I was using SNAP benefits, I would kind of hope and assume that businesses would have implemented it by now,' Phillips said. NBC4 Investigates checked with other central Ohio grocery stores and gas stations. One told us they check their devices every morning, another said they don't have any protections. 'It used to be a gas station problem. Right? Well, now it's anywhere and everywhere. And these scammers have gotten more and more intelligent,' Ohio Grocers Association CEO Kristin Mullins said. The Ohio Grocers Association is a lobbying organization that represents mostly independent grocery stores. 'Grocers across the state, probably across the country are doing what they can to protect that,' Mullins said. Scams to get your card information can look very different; it could be a small device stuck onto a card reader or someone could be using sleight of hand to run your card through another device, before charging it. 'We found over 600 credit cards inside of just one of these two devices,' Whitehall Division of Police Deputy Chief Dan Kelso said. Whitehall Police caught a man using this skimmer at a gas station. They said he took customers' cards and ran them through this before charging them on the store device. 'We've got a call from a victim who stated, hey, my credit card was used at your target, but it's still in my hand. What's going on?' Kelso said. Surveillance video and license plate readers helped Whitehall Police track down the suspect, and arrest him, with the devices on him. Deputy Chief Dan Kelso says to keep an eye out for anything that looks like it may have been stuck onto a credit card machine and try not to hand your card over to anyone. 'Give us a call. Let us come check that out right away. I mean, you might be saving a lot of financial heartache to people,' Kelso said. Despite chip-based card technology gaining in popularity a decade ago in the United States, only three states have made progress in updating SNAP cards too. Now, Ohio might join that list and the upgrade would pay for itself in less than a year. Two state representatives have introduced legislation that would require the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to add chip technology to all Ohio SNAP cards over the next two years. In Ohio last year, nearly 27,000 people reported their SNAP benefits stolen, almost $14 million dollars of taxpayer money, gone. This bill could stop a majority of those thefts. The Republican representative who co-introduced it calls it a no-brainer. 'We have two paths forward, one independent legislation which we have introduced and then secondarily where we have tried to put it in the budget as a budget amendment. So again, just working with the leadership team in the House and the Senate to get that through,' Rep. Kellie Deeter (R-Norwalk) said. If this moves forward the state would be investing about five million dollars in this security upgrade. The other half would come from the federal government. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Food stamp fraud rampant in US, costing millions. How to protect yourself now.
The only money 19-year-old Kaiden Bickmeyer has for food comes from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, formerly known as the food stamp program. So when his SNAP card was declined at a local Columbus, Ohio grocery store, Bickmeyer was desperate. As he shared with WCMH NBC4 Columbus, he called to check on his SNAP account and learned the sum total — $220.95 — had been drained by someone in Massachusetts. 'It kind of hurt my feelings badly because that's all I had for that week,' he said. A near-record number of Americans are grappling with $1,000 car payments and many drivers can't keep up. Here are 3 ways to stay ahead 5 ways to boost your net worth now — easily up your money game without altering your day-to-day life 82% of Americans are missing out on a savings account that pays over 10 times the national average Bickmeyer is one of thousands of victims of food stamp fraud across the U.S. The problem disproportionately affects low-income families, leaving many without food. Con artists are illegally siphoning benefits out of federal accounts, impacting taxpayers as well. It's a significant problem. NBC4 Investigates reports that in 2024, $14 million in SNAP benefits were stolen from 27,000 victims in Ohio alone. Meanwhile, in California, thieves stole $181 million in SNAP benefits between June 2022 and February 2024. In 2022, Congress set up a two-year program to reimburse victims, but that program expired, and Congress shuttered it, saying state agencies can choose to replace benefits using their funds. Unfortunately, only people whose benefits were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Dec. 20, 2024 and who meet approved state plan requirements qualify for state-level reimbursement. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Senator Karl Fetterman and other lawmakers want to restore federal funding to reimburse victims. They sponsored the Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act in 2023, but there is no guarantee that legislation will pass. That leaves food stamp fraud victims with little option but to do the best they can to protect their benefits moving forward. That's not easy. In 2024, Propel, an organization helping low-income families, surveyed more than 10,000 victims of food stamp fraud across the U.S. Half had no idea how or where their benefits were stolen. Con artists use two techniques to steal money from victims' SNAP accounts. One is skimming, which also happens with debit and credit cards. Thieves set up card readers in stores and ATM machines to skim victims' EBT cards. When victims swipe their cards, their information is stolen. The other technique is phishing, as thieves pose as someone from a government agency and send victims a text. email or even call the victim directly to acquire their account details. To prevent scammers from stealing your benefits, there are some proactive steps you can take. These guidelines apply to protect your bank and credit card accounts as well. Keep your EBT card locked. Download the ConnectEBT app on Google Play or Apple's App Store. Once you have the app, you can securely log in and opt to lock and unlock your EBT card on your home screen. Just before making a purchase, unlock your card, and lock it back when not in use. Create a hard-to-guess PIN. Don't use your birthdate or other easily identifiable information. Change your PIN frequently and don't share it with anyone. Check your account regularly. Make sure all the charges on you account are your own. This will help you spot any suspicious activity right away. Be wary about of emails, texts or calls about your account. If you receive any communications about your benefits that look suspicious, contact your state agency to confirm the inquiry is legitimate and not from a potential scammer. Finally, be sure to report fraudulent activity right away. This will not only help agencies protect your own money, but assist in broader investigations to shut down this scam. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) 'Savers are losers': Robert Kiyosaki warned that millions of 401(k)s and IRAs will be 'toast' — here's his advice for older Americans who want to protect their wealth Suze Orman: If you think you're ready to retire, think again — 4 critical money moves to avoid a financial crisis in retirement This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
