Retiree John Biardo recently got a devastating surprise when his Illinois Link account was drained by scammers, and he’s far from alone.

Link cards are loaded with money from the state to help Biardo and thousands of other residents to pay for groceries, but when he tried to swipe it, he received unwelcome news.

“When we tried to purchase like $23 worth of food, it was rejected. There was insufficient funds,” Biardo told NBC 5 Responds.

Biardo logged into his Link card account and looked at the transaction history. He discovered someone used his card at a market in Mount Vernon, New York the day prior. They racked up a bill of $384 and drained his card of his grocery money for the month.

Biardo says he called the Illinois Department of Human Services, or IDHS, for help. But he was told there was nothing they could do. A federal program that previously replaced stolen SNAP benefits ended in December of 2024.

“It really hurt,” said Biardo.

Following the Money

NBC 5 Responds contacted the market in New York where Biardo’s card was used. We didn’t hear back from the owners. But we did find numerous negative Google reviews, posted from people in Alabama, Texas, and Florida. These reviews detail the same type of SNAP benefit theft Biardo experienced. The business owner responded to the reviews, saying “We take any claims of fraud extremely seriously …” It went on to say it’s contacted authorities to report the incidents.

U.S. Secret Service Investigating card fraud in Illinois, Indiana

According to the U.S. Secret Service, it’s not uncommon for a merchant to be unaware a card is fraudulent. A skimming device is used by a third party to read a Link card, credit card, or debit card.

James Morley is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. He said skimmers can be placed at check out counters and gas pumps, unbeknown to the business owner. The skimmers are secured with double-sided tape, and can sometimes pop off if you give them a tug. The skimmers capture PIN numbers, and are sent to the scammers through a Bluetooth connection.

Morley said a card read by a skimmer in Chicago could be used in another part of the country in a matter of minutes.

The U.S. Secret service wants to stop this from happening, running field operations nationwide. Agents carried out a field operation in Illinois and Indiana last October, finding six skimming devices in Cook County.

Thousands victimized in Illinois

According to IDHS, 89,752 fraudulent transactions involving SNAP benefits were reported across Illinois in 2024. More than $15 million was lost to thieves.

IDHS says in addition to changing your PIN number regularly, residents can avoid Link card fraud by freezing their cards between transactions, and by turning off out-of-state benefit usage on cards.

If you were a victim of fraud, report it to the state as well as the USDA office of Inspector General.