Opinion Commentary: Modernizing equipment is one part of the battle to stop EBT skimmers

New York can invest in updated technology, cardholder education and better enforcement — or it can continue to spend millions cleaning up after thieves.

By Eric Gonzalez and Gayle Horwitz
For the Times Union
Feb 17, 2026

Credit: Getty Images. | Smith Collection/Gado/Gado via Getty Images

Picture an 82 year old woman standing at the supermarket checkout with a week’s worth of groceries and only her EBT card in hand. The cashier swipes the card, pauses and quietly tells her that her balance is zero, even though her benefits were loaded just days ago.

For thousands of older New Yorkers, this nightmare is caused by EBT skimming, a preventable form of theft that New York is poised to address in the state budget.
 
Hidden devices placed over card readers silently copy a card’s magnetic stripe information and PIN when someone swipes. That allows thieves to produce a clone of the card and drain the account, often within hours of benefits being deposited. For older adults living on a fixed income, that stolen balance is more than an abstraction; it is their food budget for the month, gone in seconds.

New Yorkers have been paying the price for outdated technology. Statewide, reimbursements for stolen SNAP and cash benefits from August 2023 through mid 2025 exceeded $50 million, and New York accounts for more than one in five skimming claims nationwide. Yet federal authorization for SNAP replacement benefits has expired, leaving many victims — especially older adults — with no way to recover what was taken.
 
At the same time, the tools available to bad actors have grown more sophisticated and cheaper. Skimmers can be installed in seconds, are designed to blend seamlessly with point of sale terminals and are often moved from one high volume location to another before they are detected.
 
Older adults, immigrants and limited English speakers are more likely to rely on in person transactions, less likely to monitor accounts online, and more likely to feel intimidated or ashamed when theft occurs, making them prime targets.
 
New York is preparing to modernize its EBT system by transitioning to chip-enabled cards, bringing benefit cards in line with the security features that private bank and credit cards have offered for years. State officials estimate that the first year of implementing chip technology will require roughly $40 million and affect more than 1.5 million cards, a substantial undertaking but one that directly addresses the core vulnerability exploited by skimmers.

Chip cards are not a cure all, but they are a proven, necessary baseline. Unlike traditional magnetic stripe cards, chip-enabled cards generate a unique transaction code each time they are used, making it far more difficult for criminals to clone the card and reuse captured data.
 
Combined with features already being deployed, such as allowing cardholders lock their EBT card between transactions, chip technology can dramatically reduce successful skimming attempts.
Technology alone will not solve this problem; education and outreach are just as crucial. New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance already issued guidance on how to spot skimming devices and encourages cardholders to regularly monitor their accounts and change their PINs.
 
Enforcement efforts must likewise keep pace. Investigations in New York City last year uncovered some 120 skimming devices attached to point of sale terminals, underscoring the need for continued coordination among city, state and federal law enforcement. Retailers must be partners in this work, regularly inspecting terminals, training staff and promptly reporting suspected skimmers. Those who knowingly tolerate or participate in this theft should face swift consequences.
 
New York can continue to spend tens of millions of dollars cleaning up after thieves, or it can invest in modernized technology, cardholder education and stronger enforcement. This year, the Legislature and governor have the opportunity to say clearly that when New Yorkers earn and qualify for food assistance, those benefits will be there at the checkout counter – ready to buy food, not fraud.
 
Eric Gonzalez is the Kings County district attorney. Gayle Horwitz is the CEO of JASA, a nonprofit assisting older adults in New York City.