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Woman says thief stole $900 in SNAP
A mother of three says she did not receive her SNAP benefits in January after a thief stole $900 from her account.
ATLANTA - An Atlanta mother of three is facing a financial crisis after thieves wiped out her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the end of January.
What we know:
Fetemia Benson reported that $900 was stolen from her account through an online Walmart transaction, and she now fears the hackers will strike again when her next disbursement arrives.
The theft has left Benson, who works part-time, struggling to make ends meet. She has filed a report with the Atlanta Police Department online and is awaiting an update.
The backstory:
Benson typically receives her SNAP benefits on the 23rd of each month. The trouble began at the end of January, when she attempted to log in to her Connect EBT mobile application and received an "unauthorized" error message.
After contacting the agency, she discovered her card had been canceled twice in a single week—just days before her scheduled benefits were set to arrive.
Upon further investigation, Benson learned that her entire $900 balance had been spent through Walmart's online platform. She said her personal information was compromised, including her social security number, address, and more.
What they're saying:
Benson described a sense of helplessness as she realized her family's lifeline had vanished.
"I tried to log in to my Connect EBT app, and it was saying unauthorized," Benson said. "They cancel 2 times in 1 week. 2 days before I was supposed to get benefits, I said, 'Why cancel 2 days before I get my benefits?'"
The realization of the theft took an emotional toll on the mother of three.
"They stole all my benefits, all 900," she said. "I start having anxiety. How am I going to feed my family? I work part-time, 15 hours a week. I really, honestly do depend on SNAP every month to feed my family, my 4 kids, and me. I start crying, panicking. Thank God I had a mom who helped me get some food for a little while, but she can only do so much."
Benson now lives in a cycle of constant monitoring to ensure her new card remains active.
"I call every day to check and see if [they] cancelled my card," she said. "If someone keeps stealing benefits, it doesn't make sense. I'm hoping and praying that something can be done about this. We really need the help; it's hard out here."
She is also warning others to stay alert. "Check every single day. Make sure the card is locked. If you notice something not right, a different address or something, report it ASAP," Benson advised. "If I knew this was happening to me, I thought my account was secure. You are hurting people; you are hurting families. It doesn't feel good."
FOX 5 reached out to the Georgia Department of Human Services. A spokesperson sent the statement below.
"We continue to remind customers who think they’ve been the victim of card skimming, card cloning, or other similar fraud involving their public benefits to change their PIN and lock or replace their card immediately and then quickly report the incident to the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) at inspectorgeneralhotline@dhs.ga.gov or 877-423-4746, option 4. Our OIG team continues to review and investigate these claims in coordination with our partners in law enforcement. SNAP theft can occur in a number of different ways outside of DHS’s immediate control, which is why—in addition to locking their cards—we also encourage clients to practice good online security habits like maintaining strong, unique passwords and not clicking suspicious links or sharing sensitive information. Clients are encouraged to change their PIN often, including right before their benefit issuance date. Clients can update their EBT PIN or check their EBT balance via the ConnectEBT website or app. Recipients can download the ConnectEBT app on their Android or Apple device by accessing their device’s app store. See here for a broader list of guidance and safety tips we urge clients to follow including monitoring their EBT purchase or balance check activity for unusual activity that can help alert customers to identified card or PIN concerns. As we learn new information that will be helpful to clients or tools that may support prevention or avoidance of theft, we will continue to share it. We continuously work on fraud prevention methodologies, including customer education, enhanced card security features, and more aggressive investigation capabilities in an effort to protect the integrity of the program and our customers’ benefits. In late December 2022, Congress passed a law to protect and replace SNAP benefits stolen via card skimming, card cloning, and other similar fraud. The law required states to replace such benefits that were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2024. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 revised the end date of the benefit theft period from Sept. 30, 2024, to Dec. 20, 2024. The American Relief Act, 2025 did not extend this authority for benefits stolen beyond Dec. 20, 2024. This was a federally instituted and funded program that the previous Congress opted to no longer fund, making SNAP benefits stolen on or after Dec. 21, 2024, ineligible for replacement. SNAP customers whose benefits were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022-Dec. 20, 2024, provided they met the federal timeliness requirement, were able to file an affidavit until June 20, 2025."
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report where Tara Jabour spoke with a mother who had her benefits stolen and the Georgia Department of Human Services.