OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Many Oklahomans are arriving to the register, only to find out their food stamps are gone.
More than 2,600 households have had their food stamps stolen in the last year, according to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
"That's really hard when you go to get food and you go and bring food back, you don't come back with it," said Barbara North, victim of stolen food stamps.
North had her food stamps stolen right before Christmas in 2022. Now her daughter is a victim, two years later.
"She had $291 on there and it was on the day that she was supposed to get it and she went to the grocery store and they told her she didn't have nothing on there," said North.
There are more victims beyond this family, several have come forward on social media.
One woman says she lost $1,000, another lost over $900.
Something in common is that all victims say the transactions were made in New York.
Right now, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is able to replace stolen funds because of a federal grant, but not for much longer. The funds end on September 30.
"I don't know what's going to happen in the future," said Amy Roberts, deputy director of food and energy assistance, Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
To avoid becoming a victim, OKDHS encourages SNAP recipients to use the ConnectEBT app.
"Where they can go in and just lock their card when they're not using it, unlock it when they want to be able to use it and lock it," said Roberts.
You should also always use a pin that's hard to guess. Do not use numbers like 1111 or 5678.
Roberts says if you receive a call from a number you don’t recognize and they ask you to give them your personal information — hang up and call (405) 522-5020 to verify the request.
Sometimes, scammers can also place devices on the card readers at store checkouts, which can steal your information.
Make sure to check the card readers for anything that looks out of place before using your card.
To learn of more ways on how to protect yourself, click here.
