While the state looks for solutions, victims face hunger with no answers or replacements
It was only when she went to the grocery store that Dori realized what was happening: her SNAP card only had $11 left. What should have been nearly $300 in food assistance for the whole month disappeared without a trace.
“It was a very hard blow for me”, she said. Disabled and with limited income, Dori reported the theft to the police and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). But help never came. “I’m lucky to have people I can lean on, but I needed it. That money helps me a lot”, she explained.
Dori is not the only one. In 2023 and 2024, more than 28,000 SNAP benefit thefts were reported in the state, accounting for $12.2 million lost. Just between January and February 2024, there were 7,800 new cases.
Michael Cole, DTA Chief Operating Officer, described the situation as “devastating” and explained that criminals use sophisticated skimming and phishing techniques to clone and drain SNAP cards. “They place a device at a point of sale that captures the card information. Then they replicate it and use it to steal,” he said.
One of the biggest problems is that SNAP cards lack chip technology, making them extremely vulnerable. Meanwhile, thieves can use them in other states —as in Dori’s case, whose funds were used in New York— without an effective blocking system.
Faced with the crisis, Governor Maura Healey has proposed a supplemental budget of $15.5 million to replace the current cards with more secure chip-enabled versions. However, as Cole warned, “it’s a relatively long timeline” and there are no immediate solutions.
Meanwhile, the federal government no longer replaces stolen benefits, a measure that ended last December. For families like Dori’s, that means going without food for a month.
Betsy Gwin, attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), says she has heard heartbreaking stories: “I’m skipping meals this week. I can’t afford the medicine I need because I don’t have money for food this month”, affected individuals tell her.
MLRI is demanding the state act immediately. “We can’t wait for the chip cards to arrive. Replacing stolen benefits is the right thing to do”, Gwin insisted.
For now, the DTA is trying to mitigate the situation: it has implemented a new online feature to block SNAP cards when not in use. Additionally, people are encouraged to frequently change their PIN and report any theft, as emergency funds may be available in some cases.
To report stolen benefits, individuals can do so at the following link: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-stolen-benefits-to-dta.