SNAP Benefits Theft Leaves Alabama Families Hungry Days Before Christmas

By Staff Writer 

Mobile, Alabama (BuzzReport) — What should be a season of joy has turned into a desperate scramble for survival for hundreds of Alabama families. Just days before Christmas, residents across the state are reporting that their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been stolen from their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards — in many cases, for the second or third time this year. 

For many low-income households, SNAP benefits are not a luxury but a lifeline. Yet, in recent weeks, residents have been discovering — often at grocery store checkout counters — that their accounts have been drained. Others have learned the devastating news after calling to check their balances. 

The BuzzReport spoke with a local Department of Human Resources (DHR) worker who confirmed that multiple reports of stolen benefits have been filed in recent days. “We’ve been telling recipients to request a new card and change their PIN,” the worker explained. “Unfortunately, the State does not have allocated funds to replace stolen benefits.” 

That lack of replacement funds means families are left with no immediate recourse when their accounts are compromised. 

One Mobile resident, James S., says his benefits have been stolen three times in the past year — each time after receiving a new card and PIN. “I’m beginning to wonder now, how could this happen three times in a year with three new cards?” he asked. “It just doesn’t make sense.” 

Other SNAP recipients are voicing similar concerns, questioning how such thefts could go undetected in an era of advanced government surveillance and technology. Jackie, another Mobile resident whose benefits were stolen earlier this month, expressed frustration: 

“How does the State or Federal Government not know who is doing this or where it’s happening? Millions of dollars are being stolen, and they claim they can’t track it — but if an ordinary citizen took government money, they’d find them in a heartbeat.” 

Reports of stolen benefits have been circulating for over a year, yet little concrete information has emerged about the scope of the problem or the perpetrators behind it. Some recipients believe the issue may run deeper than simple cybercrime. 

One disabled resident, who lost a leg and is unable to work, expressed a troubling suspicion: “I see these government funds issued in cash value to merchants who accept SNAP payments just vanish instantly, with no trace. It feels like a coordinated effort to take back benefits they already issued.” 

The recipient added: “How would a hacker know exactly when my benefits are deposited or how much to take? It just doesn’t add up.” 

One local resident says her benefits were stolen twice after shopping at the same local Walmart each time her benefits went missing, now she can’t even access Connection EBT. She claims it tells her that her info is invalid.

With Christmas only days away, families who have lost their benefits are scrambling to find food banks and other assistance to make it through the holidays. For many, there will be no festive meals this year — only the uncertainty of when, or if, they will receive the help they need. 

As investigations remain vague and official answers scarce, the theft of SNAP benefits continues to erode trust in a program designed to prevent hunger. For Alabama’s most vulnerable residents, the cost of this failure is measured not in dollars, but in empty plates