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Lawmakers Press Agencies on EBT Skimming and Whether New York Can Switch to Chip Cards
Summary
Lawmakers and advocates urged immediate action after testimony that hundreds of millions in SNAP benefits have been stolen; agencies said chip-card rollout could cost up to $40 million and recommended interim fraud-reduction measures, including ‘‘lock and block’’ tools and outreach.
Lawmakers pressed Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) officials at the joint hearing about a rapid rise in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) skimming and asked whether the state can switch to chip-enabled EBT cards to reduce fraud.
OTDA Acting Commissioner Barbara Gwynn told the panel the state has seen a large number of households affected by theft and has rolled out emergency outreach including a ‘‘lock and block’’ option that lets recipients temporarily block transactions while they obtain a replacement card. Gwynn said the agency also texted SNAP households to raise awareness of the feature.
Senators and assembly…
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