Nationwide EBT scam impacting Roanoke
Low-income individuals who rely on SNAP benefits for their grocery shopping are arriving at the check-out counter only to find their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) funds are missing.
Several local food banks say that scam is starting to have a big impact on their operations.
'If we've got more people on the list than we have food, then that means we have to limit just a little bit more of what they'd be getting,' said Darlene Lewis, executive director of the Hope Center in Roanoke, which provides one of several food banks across the city.
They have begun to receive calls from folks impacted by the scam, which will drive up demand on their limited supply.
'We will be getting the first person that was impacted by that [scam], and they told me they had seven children,' said Lewis. 'That's a heavy load to lift.'
That means people that have not been scammed, but who rely on local food banks for healthy food, could also be impacted.
As of Friday morning, at least 10 people in Roanoke have filed welfare fraud reports to Roanoke Police, stating their EBT funds were missing.
Roanoke City Benefit Manager Lindsey Campbell provided WFXR with this statement Friday, acknowledging that they are aware of the nationwide scam, and the fact that it is now impacting the local community:
The City of Roanoke Department of Social Services is aware of a nationwide EBT skimming/scam that has been happening for several months. While this issue has affected individuals across the country, it has also impacted some residents locally. This has resulted in stolen benefits for some users—some of whom recently noticed their accounts had been depleted after making purchases through certain online retailers.
Initially, local agencies were able to replace stolen benefits; however, as of December 20, 2024, we are no longer permitted to do so due to federal regulations. We understand this is a hardship for many affected individuals, which is why it is more important than ever to take precautions to protect your benefits.
Don't click on those road toll texts. Officials issue warnings about the smishing scam
We have always encouraged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to take precautions to protect their benefits. We advise EBT users to avoid utilizing third-party applications to manage their accounts and to be cautious when shopping online. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) has introduced a new card lock/unlock security feature to protect SNAP benefits. This feature helps safeguard customers' EBT cards from skimming and other fraudulent activities that attempt to steal card numbers and PINs. The ConnectEBT app is the only officially licensed app for Virginia SNAP EBT benefits.
Additionally, VDSS has directed local agencies to track instances of fraud and report where fraudulent transactions are occurring. This information could be used to help identify the source of the problem and potential solutions.
For more information or assistance, individuals are encouraged to contact their local Social Services office or visit the Virginia Department of Social Services website.
The fact that local and state agencies are no longer to reimburse stolen funds is what makes this scam so damaging.
'This is not like somebody misusing your credit card where you can dispute it and get the charges reversed,' said Julie Wheeler, president of the Better Business Bureau serving Western Virginia. 'These things, you don't get your money back.'
The BBB says the scam has been harder to prevent than many because criminals are using multiple methods to steal funds.
'We can't control that,' said Wheeler. 'How we can control that is by having our cards locked. Keeping them locked and only unlock them when you're using them.'
The BBB and Virginia Department of Social Services both say you can do that by downloading the Connect EBT app, which allows users to easily freeze their account.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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