Indianapolis, IN

SNAP recipients in Indiana benefits stolen through card skimmers

Published

2 years ago

May 16, 2023

SNAP recipients in Indiana benefits stolen through card skimmers

INDIANAPOLIS – 600,000 people in Indiana rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families. Over a hundred have had their benefits stolen over the last few months with no reimbursement.

“Everybody that is receiving snap benefits should know about this,” Bonita Edwards, a SNAP recipient who had her benefits stolen from her EBT card said.

Edwards is single mom of two. She works full time, but needs the benefits she gets from SNAP to feed her family.

“I get mine at the beginning of the month and it happened the same exact day that they were loaded on to my card,” Edwards said. “So I went to Kroger earlier that morning and then I went to Walmart on 56th street, the neighborhood Walmart, and that’s the last store I went to before anything happened.”

Edwards filed a complaint with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. She is hoping to eventually be reimbursed.

Edwards isn’t the only person in Indianapolis that had their benefits stolen.

Rhonda Cook’s benefits were stolen at the end of April. She used her card at Save A Lot. When she went to use it again over 800 dollars was spent.

“Monday, I contacted the Division of Family and Children and told them what happened,” Cook said. “ I told them I didn’t use that. That was my balance. The lady took some more information and looked it up to see where it was spent and it was spent in Houston, Texas. Oh, wow. So I’m like, Well, I’ve never been there a day in my life. Then she said, okay, did you share your pin number with anybody? I said No. Why would I do that?”

She filed a police report with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. We reached out to see if they were investigating and they gave the following response:

The complainant reported to IMPD that this incident occurred in Texas so we would not investigate this incident. Given these relate to federal and state funding, we will defer questions about those programs (including the crime prevention) to the other agencies.

IMPD

According to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, the benefits are being stolen through card scammers or duplicators often found at stores across the country.

This is a growing problem, according to cyber-security expert Sagar Samtani.

“It’s very common and very significant issue actually that has been increasing over the last five to 10 years in particular and a lot credit cards are being skimmed and swiped quite extensively,” Samtani the Director of the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab at Indiana University said.

Emily Weikert-Bryant is the Executive Director for Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. They advocate for those who are food insecure. She says there is only one piece of advice they have for snap recipients at this time.

“If you change your PIN number you are less likely to have your benefits skimmed in a situation like that,” Weikert-Bryant said. “It’s not a fail-safe, it’s not the perfect solution, but it’s the best advice that everyone has at the moment.”

The federal government is working to address this national issue. Last year, a law was passed to protect and replace snap benefits that were stolen.

Indiana has submitted their plan for reimbursement. However, it will be a while before recipients can expect their benefits to be reimbursed.

“USDA is sorting through them to make sure what they are proposing is workable and a good solution,” Weikert-Bryant said. “So as of yet they don’t know when they would expect those benefits would come out but they will have to wait to get that approval from USDA.”

If you have had your SNAP benefits stolen, it’s important to report it.

Anyone who has had benefits stolen from them between the dates of October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024 will likely qualify for reimbursement. For more information click here.

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Related Topics:Featured Fraud FSSA indiana snap

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Indianapolis, IN

Stef Dag to perform stand-up comedy show at Helium Comedy Club

Published

4 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Stef Dag to perform stand-up comedy show at Helium Comedy Club

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – This weekend, Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis will host Brooklyn-based comedian, writer, and actor Stef Dag.

Stef was selected as a 2022 New York Comedy Festival’s “Creators to Watch” list.

Upstairs at the Helium: Stef Dag
Helium Comedy Club
Friday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, Jan 18 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday Jan. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online

Stef, who’s making her debut in Indianapolis, talked about her popular digital dating show “Hot & Single,” where she interviews singles on the streets of New York City, delving into why they’re still single and attempting to set them up with quirky internet personalities.

Stef pointed out the city’s overwhelming independent vibe When asked why so many people in New York stay single. She joked that the only reason to get into a relationship there is if you find someone with an in-unit washer and dryer.

Stef’s stand-up show is filled with humor drawn from her experiences growing up as the daughter of a Bosnian immigrant. She often reflects on the clash between old-world and new-world habits.

Tickets for the show start at $20. Check out Stef’s show at Helium Comedy Club this weekend.

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Indianapolis, IN

42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb set for Saturday

Published

12 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb set for Saturday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Looking for a unique way to get your steps in this weekend? The 42nd annual Bop to the Top stair climb is happening Saturday at the iconic OneAmerica Tower in downtown Indianapolis.

This beloved tradition, hosted by Tuxedo Brothers Events, invites participants of all fitness levels to climb the 36 floors of the tower while supporting a great cause. For more than four decades, the event has partnered with Riley Hospital for Children, raising significant funds to support their critical work.

“Forty-two years ago, we started this as something fun and competitive to do indoors during the winter,” Don Carr, owner of Tuxedo Brothers and the event’s host, said. “We quickly realized it was the perfect opportunity to tie in a charity component. Riley Hospital has been a part of this from the beginning, and it’s been an incredible partnership.”

Participants can sign up as individuals, families, or teams, with categories to match any level of competitiveness. There’s even a “triple step” option for those brave enough to tackle the climb more than once. And, yes, everyone who completes the climb will be rewarded with a long-sleeved T-shirt—perfect for the chilly Indiana weather.

Registration costs $30 to $35, depending on the category, and you can sign up online or in person on the day of the event. The climb starts at 8:30 a.m.

“Whether you’re fast, slow, or just there to have fun, everyone is welcome,” Carr said. “It’s all about making it to the top, enjoying the experience, and supporting an amazing cause.”

For more information or to register, click here.

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Indianapolis, IN

‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads

Published

19 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads

Councilor Jared Evans, who grew up in Indianapolis, described the city’s response to recent snowstorms as “the worst that I’ve seen” at Thursday night’s meeting of the Public Works Committee.

He wasn’t alone. Officials representing districts throughout the city said their constituents were left frustrated and concerned after residential streets went unplowed in the aftermath of early January’s snowfall.

Indianapolis once hired private contractors to plow residential streets following 6 inches or more of snowfall. That rule was scrapped in 2020 in favor of a new policy requiring plows to clear busy connector streets. Officials totals from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis show parts of the city have received more than 15 inches of snowfall since Jan. 5.

The concerns were so abundant that the committee’s chair, Kristin Jones, invited leaders from the Department of Public Works (DPW) to address the issues.

Sam Beres, DPW interim director, delivered remarks for the committee alongside Natalie Van Dongen, deputy director of policy and planning.

Before taking questions, Beres and Van Dongen shared a presentation emphasizing crews’ relentless efforts to clear major thoroughfares and their connecting streets — a round-the-clock effort that’s so far required more than 13,000 overtime hours.

Despite a challenging battle against the snow, contractors weren’t brought in to help with residential streets. Beres said that the decision wasn’t based on financial constraints, instead citing concerns about property damage on narrow streets and the potential for further icing.

That explanation didn’t suffice for Councilor Brian Mowery.

“Now all of those neighborhoods are a sheet of ice anyway, because they didn’t get plowed, and they were driven on top of, and it just compacted the snow into ice,” Mowery said.

Councilors emphasized that they appreciated the efforts of the city’s crews — more than a dozen of whom were sitting in the audience — but they were unhappy with the department’s lack of any clear plan for the city’s residential street.

“You will see this council at least have a discussion — and a vote — on changing this policy,” Councilor Josh Bain said.

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@gannett.com or (317) 800-2956.

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