Utah Workforce Services theft-proofing electronic SNAP benefits

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Workforce Services is trying to make it more difficult for people to hack into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and steal benefits that serve more than 80,000 people in Utah.

These thefts are happening nationwide according to Becky Wickstrom with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. The process is made easier by the kind of state-issued EBT card given to SNAP recipients to retrieve their benefits.

Related:  70.5% of eligible Utahns not enrolled for food assistance programs

The National Council on Aging said the EBT cards, which do not have smart chips, can be easily “cloned.”

“We’re seeing schemes to steal people’s benefits become more sophisticated and elaborate,” Wickstrom said, “and so we are trying our best to help customers protect their information.”

Now, SNAP recipients can log into the webpage used to manage their benefits and lock or unlock the ability to use the card. 

“So when the card [is] locked, no purchases can be made by them or by anyone else,” Wickstrom said. “And they can unlock it in real time, even while they’re in the line at the grocery store to make their purchase.”

SNAP recipients can also lock or unlock their cards at DWS employment centers, or on the phone, if they don’t have access to the internet.

 

Follow @SimoneSeikaly