Nevada
Welfare fraud sees 650% increase in Nevada
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Scammers are targeting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards by using fake devices at grocery stores to steal from low income families trying to put food on the table, and are doing so at an alarmingly increasing rate.
It’s something California officials have been catching criminals doing on camera recently, and the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services says the same tactics are impacting families in Nevada.
Last week, FOX5 talked with Anthony, a father of three who had the entire balance on his EBT card for the month of April drained, save for six dollars. His card was refilled early Wednesday morning, but for nine days, he had to worry about how he was going to feed his kids.
“Thankfully, family pulled through, so it wasn’t as horrible as I was expecting it to be,” Anthony said about the last week and a half. “But it was still a struggle. It was still bare minimum, and me and the wife were skipping meals.”
Anthony is one of an exponentially increasing number of victims of this kind of crime in Nevada as of late. In July 2023, the state gained approval from the federal government to start replacing stolen benefits, and since then, the state has averaged about 200 claims per month. In just the first ten days of April, though, there have been about 1,500 claims, with more still coming in.
“These thieves are actually placing a skimming device on the credit card machine at a retailer,” Marni Whalen, Deputy Administrator of the Nevada Division of Welfare & Supportive Services, told FOX5 Wednesday. “When somebody uses their EBT card there, their information is skimmed and then replicated somehow and made into another cloned card.”
Once that information is replicated, Whalen says the thieves can then use it to take the services meant for families in need, for themselves.
“They could produce an actual physical card or they could just be storing the information and processing it that way online,” she explained.
Whalen says the state has not identified the specific retailers where this is happening, but it’s part of an ongoing investigation. She added that most of the time, it takes 10 to 30 days for the state to replenish the cards that have been drained by criminals.
Anthony hopes everyone gets their card refilled in less time than that, like he did.
“It was like we just won something,” Anthony said of the moment he saw his card had been replenished. “Everybody jumped up and we ran to 7-11 and got some snacks and drinks.”
He hopes no other family has to suffer like his at the hands of welfare thieves.
“It was just really nice to be able to go shopping and not have to worry about what I’m feeding them for dinner tonight instead,” he said, fresh off a trip to the grocery store Wednesday evening. “My fridge is full, and even if I wanted to fit more in my freezer, I couldn’t at this point.”
Whalen says the team in charge of investigating these crimes needs more resources to address the issue and restore the lost benefits in a timely way. She adds these crimes tend to happen at the beginning of the month when people are expecting their benefits to come in.
Anyone who is impacted can find resources here.
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.
The Southern Nevada Jewish community gathered on Fremont Street to mark the first day of Hanukkah with the Grand Menorah Lighting, the religion’s symbol of light in dark times.
The event, held Sunday evening, was attended by Mayor Shelley Berkley and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, who addressed the recent mass shooting at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, which authorities say claimed at least 15 lives.
Hal Golblatt, director of security for Chabad of Southern Nevada, emphasized the importance of vigilance and protection after news of the mass shooting.
“6:30 this morning, I was on the phone to Metro, arranging for more security here,” he said.
The Chabad of Southern Nevada has hosted the event for the past 30 years.
“I would like to let the community know not to be afraid, not to be scared, to be loud, to be proud, have Jewish pride.” Rabbi Motti Harlig said.
He expressed his devastation over the attack, noting that one of his friends was injured but is now recovering. Tragically, another Chabad rabbi did not survive the shooting.
“The way we deal with evil, with terrorism, is that we fight it, by not running, not hiding, but going out there and showing that we’re not afraid,” Rabbi Shea Harlig said.
The event served as a reminder of the enduring message of Hanukkah: faith, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Steve Alford recaps the Pack’s 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday
Steve Alford recaps the Wolf Pack’s 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday
Nevada will go into Mountain West Conference play in a four-game winning streak, but the fourth of those wins was not easy.
The Wolf Pack ended its non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 7,238 fans at Lawlor Events Center.
In the final 90 seconds, Wolf Pack freshman Peyton White got a huge rebound, then hit two free throws to help the Pack go up by three
The Dukes got their first lead of the second half with 1 minute, 38 seconds left, 71-70.
Tayshawn Comer led the Pack with 16 points, White had 12 and Elijah Price had 10 points and nine rebounds as the Pack improved to 8-3.
Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Corey Camper Jr. did not play as they are still dealing with injuries.
“We battled hard. It wasn’t our best game but we came through and got it done,” White said.
Tre Guinyard led the Dukes (6-5) with 21 points.
Nevada (8-3) opens conference play against Boise State on Saturday.
Top Takeaways
The Dukes tried to win it from the arc, going 11-33 from there, after knocking down their first two of the game.
The Pack shot 4-of-10 from the arc, and 25-of-56 from the field.
The Pack won it at the free throw line, making 24-of-32 from the line, while the Dukes hit 18-of-20 free throws.
The Pack entered the game leading the Mountain West in made free throws (20.1) and second in free throw attempts (27.1).
Duquesne held a 38-35 edge in rebounding.
Bench comes up big
The Wolf Pack got 37 points from its bench, to 20 for the Dukes, and Alford said that was a key to the win.
“There’s very few games I’ve had where your starters are all negative in points per minute and your bench is all positive,” he said. “It’s good that the starters get to see that. It’s good in learning to trust one another when you’re not playing well.”
He said the bench saved the game for the Pack, but that is a sign of the depth the team has.
Phenomenal Freshmen
Pack freshmen White and Myles Walker played substantial minutes, 23 for White and 13 for Walker. Walker scored five points, including two key free throws in the final minute.
“Myles and Peyton continue to make veteran plays,” Alford said. “That was a hotly contested game, down to the wire and you’ve got two freshmen going to the line in the last two trips and they go 4-for-4 at the line That’s big time.”
He said the pair has been consistent and they keep improving every game.
“Myles has given us a lift every time he comes in,” Alford said. “Those two give us energy.”
Walker said the Pack showed it can win even when things go wrong.
“It showed how tough this team is. Even at the end when things didn’t go right, we still found a way to win,” Walker said.
Half
Nevada led 42-35 at the break, after leading by as many as 15 earlier in the half.
The Wolf Pack shot 17-of-33 field goals and 2-of-6 from the arc along with 6-10 free throws in the first half
The Dukes shot 10-of-28 from the field; 7-18 from the arc and 8-of-10 free throws.
The Pack outscored the Dukes, 20-6, in the paint in the first half.
Up Next
Nevada opens Mountain West Conference play by hosting Boise State (7-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 20).
The Broncos play Saint Mary’s on Sunday (Dec 14).
Finals are over on Wednesday for the Pack players. Alford said they will take that day off from practice.
“That’s going to be a war on Saturday,” Alford said. “(Duquesne) is an A10 team (Atlantic 10 Conference). We’ve played some really good competition, so I’m very pleased with where we’re at 11 games in.”
Nevada’s Upcoming Schedule
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Boise State (TV: KNSN, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
- Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Colorado State (TV: MW Network, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
- Saturday, Jan. 3 at Fresno State
- Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. San Diego State
- Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Wyoming
- Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Utah State
- Saturday, Jan. 17 at Air Force
- Tuesday, Jan. 20 vs. San Jose State
- Saturday, Jan. 24 at New Mexico
- Tuesday, Jan. 27 vs. Grand Canyon
- Friday, Jan. 30 vs. UNLV
- Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Boise State
- Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Fresno State
- Saturday, Feb. 14 at San Diego State
- Tuesday, Feb. 17 at San Jose State
- Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Utah State
- Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. New Mexico
- Saturday, Feb. 28 at UNLV
- Tuesday, Mar. 3 at Wyoming
- Saturday, Mar. 7 vs. Air Force
First team
Gigi Benoualid, Coronado — The senior finished seventh at the 5A Southern Region meet (19 minutes, 26.3 seconds) and was eighth at the 5A state meet (19:41).
Scarlett Cotrone, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished 11th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:52.4) and was ninth at the 5A state meet (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Ryen Hughes, Shadow Ridge — The junior finished fourth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:12.4) and was fifth at the 5A state meet (19:16).
Aislin McMahon, Sky Pointe — The junior finished second at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:54.8) and was second at the 5A state meet (19:00).
Brooke-Lynn Miller, Coronado — The senior won the 5A Southern Region individual title (18:40.8) and was seventh at the 5A state meet (19:19). She is committed to Cal Baptist.
Elynn Okuda, Shadow Ridge — The senior finished sixth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:16.1) and was third at state (19:11).
Lacy Tippetts, Sky Pointe — The junior finished third at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:58.2) and was 13th at the 5A state meet (19:57).
Sophia Weisz, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished fifth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:13.1) and was 10th at state (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Coach of the year
Jeff Edwards, Faith Lutheran — Guided the Crusaders to the Class 5A team state title, the program’s fifth overall and first since 2001.
Second team
Jenna Anderson, Faith Lutheran — The sophomore finished 24th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:34.6) and was 14th at the 5A state meet (19:57) to help the Crusaders win the team title.
Lola Borsh, Desert Oasis — The freshman finished 16th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:16.5) and was 26th at the 5A state meet (20:26).
Katherine Hodges, Sky Pointe — The junior finished 13th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:12.8) and was 23rd at the 5A state meet (20:18).
Lacy Mayes, Centennial — The sophomore finished eighth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:30.6) and was 19th at the 5A state meet (20:05).
Autumn McQuirter, Liberty — The sophomore finished 15th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.7) and was 12th at the 5A state meet (19:54).
Mia Musemici, Desert Oasis — The senior finished 10th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.8) and was 24th at the 5A state meet (20:23).
Belle Parrel, Centennial — The freshman finished ninth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.4) and was 17th at the 5A state meet (20:01).
Michelle Stana, Clark — The freshman won the 4A individual Desert League (21:19.9) and state (20:43.2) titles.
Mackenzie Teel, Sky Pointe — The senior finished 14th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.5) and was 37th at the 5A state meet (20:57).
Julia Vancura, Faith Lutheran — The senior finished 12th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:01.0) and was 21st at the 5A state meet (20:10).
Honorable mention
Mandi Abney, Shadow Ridge
Savannah Abney, Shadow Ridge
Emma Ansorge, Basic
Maleah Bennett, Centennial
Allison Blazi, Amplus Academy
Kensley Bleak, Lincoln County
Isabella Bustillos-Rivera, Desert Oasis
Ava Dupuis, Palo Verde
Isabelle Franks, Faith Lutheran
Leah Groppenbacher, Arbor View
MJ Gutierrez-Hess, Green Valley
Payton Howse, Clark
Sadie Ivins, Lincoln County
Madeline Labay, Bishop Gorman
Aubrei Lay, Sky Pointe
Selina Leipard, Clark
Ava Levy, Palo Verde
Stella Lin, Coronado
Mackenzie McClain, Sky Pointe
Adalyn Mosley, Foothill
Yalitzi Muro, Western
Elizabeth Neumann, Silverado
Julianna Ondrisko, Pahrump Valley
Sophie Romero, Pahrump Valley
Isabelle Searer, Liberty
Avery Stanton, Coronado
Eliott Stepanek, Faith Lutheran
Amira Turner, Centennial
Isla Ulmer, Coronado
Olivia Wheeler, Sky Pointe
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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