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It was a typical day in the office when she came in. A mother of three, her voice trembling, had just discovered her EBT balance was zero. Not low. Not short. Empty.
“She said, ‘I don’t know what to do,’” recalls a frontline advocate who works directly with families navigating the complexities of public assistance. “She had no food and no idea how to feed her kids.”
This is the new face of EBT fraud in Pennsylvania quiet, devastating, and increasingly common. For many low-income families, Electronic Benefit Transfer was supposed to be a lifeline, offering food assistance with dignity and privacy. But over the last few years, it’s become a target. A loophole. A weapon in the hands of digital thieves.
And the worst part? Most victims don’t even realize what’s happened until their groceries are on the conveyor belt and their card is declined.
A System Built to Help, Now Under Attack
EBT was designed to replace the paper food stamp system, allowing people to buy food without shame or scrutiny. “The purpose of it is to cut down on the embarrassment,” the advocate explains.
But while the system may look sleek and modern, it has vulnerabilities. Big ones.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of EBT skimming fraud have exploded. Thieves place skimming devices, tiny, almost invisible card readers on ATMs or store terminals. These devices silently capture card numbers and PINs. Within hours, someone across the country is draining your account.
And it’s not just happening to one type of person. “It affects everybody,” the advocate says. “People think EBT is just for lazy people who don’t want to work. That’s not true. 85% of the people on welfare are working people. They’re just trying to survive.”
When the Card Is Empty, What Then?
There’s something uniquely cruel about food being stolen from someone who’s budgeting down to the last dollar. The emotional weight can be crushing.
“You’re dealing with people who are already living on the edge,” the advocate says. “So when their benefits disappear, it’s not just inconvenient, it’s life-altering.”
She’s seen the fear, the shame, the desperation. But mostly, she sees the same question repeated again and again: What do I do now?
A Broken System, Slow to Respond
For families hit by fraud, the process of getting help is often slow and confusing. State agencies want to help but they’re bound by federal red tape that can delay or deny reimbursements.
“There’s this huge disconnect between the state and the community,” the advocate explains. “People don’t even know they should be changing their PIN every month. No one’s telling them. There should be public service announcements on buses and in schools, everywhere.”
Some states have tools in place like card-locking features but many beneficiaries don’t know they exist. And there’s no centralized EBT app where users can easily track their balance, freeze a card, or report fraud in real time.
“They need an app,” she says. “Something where people can monitor their benefits without guessing or calling five different numbers.”
How to Protect Your EBT Benefits
Despite the cracks in the system, there are steps recipients can take to protect themselves from fraud:
- Change Your PIN Monthly – Aim for once a month.
- Use the Lock Feature – If your state allows it, lock your card between uses.
- Check Balances Frequently – Monitor your account for any suspicious activity.
- Report Fraud Immediately – The sooner it’s flagged, the better your chances of getting support.
“Awareness is everything,” the advocate says. “Most people don’t know how easy it is to be targeted.”
When All Else Fails, the Community Shows Up
While the system struggles to catch up, one safety net still holds: community.
“We’ve had to send people straight to a food pantry just so they can feed their kids that night,” the advocate says.
In the face of EBT fraud, food pantries have become more than a stopgap, they are a lifeline. Below are ten trusted resources for Philadelphia residents seeking immediate help:
📍 Philadelphia Food Pantries
- Philabundance Community Kitchen – 2224 N. 10th St., Philadelphia, PA 19133
- Share Food Program – 2901 W. Hunting Park Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19129
- MANNA – 420 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19130 (medically tailored meals)
- Face to Face Germantown – 123 E. Price St., Philadelphia, PA 19144
- St. John’s Hospice – 1221 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission – 302 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Dare to Imagine Church Pantry – 6610 Anderson St., Philadelphia, PA 19119
- West Philadelphia SDA Church Pantry – 4527 Haverford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19139
- The Common Place Food Pantry – 5736 Chester Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143
- Mount Olivet Tabernacle Pantry – 647 N. 42nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
A Call for Empathy and Action
In the End, It’s Not Just Policy. It’s People.
“People want to judge. They want to look down,” the advocate says. “But when someone’s benefits are stolen and they can’t feed their kids, that’s not about politics. That’s about survival.”
Until the system changes, families need immediate protection and a community that understands what’s at stake. The best defense is knowledge. The best hope is compassion. And the strongest support, right now, is each other.
- Report Fraud: If your EBT card is stolen or compromised, contact the state fraud hotline or visit your local DHS office immediately.
- Find Food: Visit one of the trusted Philadelphia food pantries listed above for emergency meals.
- Avoid third-party apps when checking your balance. While popular, they are not official state apps and may increase your risk of fraud. Instead, use your state’s direct website or hotline to monitor your EBT account.
- Stay Secure: Change your EBT PIN every month and enable card-locking features if available in your state.
- Share This Story: Help raise awareness, share this article, and use the hashtags #EBTFraud and #FoodJusticePhilly.
Diamond Jones joined the FunTimes family as an intern while earning her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University. After graduating in 2018, Diamond decided to stay with FunTimes continuing her role as a writer and content creator for social media. In addition to writing, she also enjoys reading, traveling, and art. Working at a magazine has always been a dream. As a child, she would collect and study popular entertainment publications such as Word Up and Teen Vogue. Diamond hopes to continue to create content that will inspire and entertain.
