Virginia rolls out more secure EBT cards to curb SNAP benefit theft

(VIRGINIA MERCURY) - Virginia is replacing traditional food-assistance benefit cards with chip-enabled versions designed to make it harder for thieves to steal SNAP benefits from families. About 749,000 state residents receive assistance through the program.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Thursday that the state has begun mailing new Electronic Benefits Transfer cards equipped with chip-and-tap technology to households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The change is aimed at combating “skimming,” in which criminals capture card information at the point of sale and drain benefits before recipients can use them. Unlike magnetic stripes, chips generate a unique, encrypted code for each transaction, making the cards more difficult to skim or duplicate.

Households do not need to request a replacement, and benefits will continue without interruption during the transition, according to the administration.

The SNAP program is essential for Virginia families, Spanberger said, even as forthcoming changes from the federal spending bill H.R. 1 will reduce the program’s funding by up to $187 billion over the next 10 years, levy more of the cost onto states and change eligibility requirements for recipients.

“At a time when many families are struggling to keep up with the rising price of groceries and Republicans in Washington are making the deepest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history, we are taking this step to make sure families have secure, accessible support — and are protected from bad actors,” Spanberger said in a statement.

The first cards are going to areas that have experienced high levels of benefit theft, including Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Clarke, Fairfax City and County, Giles, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Orange, Patrick, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Smyth, Surry, Washington and Wythe.

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