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Oregon House committee hears personal and agency accounts of rising EBT skimming; advocates push for chip cards
Summary
At an informational hearing Feb. 19, state officials and advocates described a spike in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) 'skimming' that has left SNAP recipients without food, cited roughly 10,700 validated thefts and about $4 million lost, and urged the legislature to fund chip‑and‑tap EBT modernization before a federal match changes.
Representative Andrea Valderrama opened an informational hearing of the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on Feb. 19, laying out concerns about a national rise in Electronic Benefit Transfer theft that has affected Oregon SNAP recipients and other low‑income households.
Valderrama said roughly one in six Oregonians rely on SNAP and told the committee her office has tracked thousands of incidents of electronic benefit theft. "When these funds are stolen, victims can't get their money back," she said, describing a bill concept that would direct the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) to restore EBT funds taken by skimming so affected families would not go without food.
Heather Miles, ODHS's SNAP and food program administrator, told the committee the agency has seen a sharp uptick in organized electronic theft since 2021 and has stood up an EBT fraud response team that works with retailers and law enforcement.…
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