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The Trump administration has launched a robust campaign against what it describes as widespread fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), America’s largest food aid initiative. Officials are approaching the $100 billion program with a strong enforcement mindset, claiming that criminal enterprises, individual recipients, and unscrupulous retailers are draining taxpayer resources.
“We know there are instances of fraud committed by our friends and neighbors, but also transnational crime rings,” said Jennifer Tiller, senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, in a recent interview.
The administration’s focus on fraud comes as SNAP serves approximately 42 million Americans—roughly one in eight—with average monthly benefits of $190 per person. About $94 billion of the program’s annual budget goes directly to benefits, with the remainder covering administrative expenses. The number of recipients closely aligns with federal poverty statistics, which range from 36 to 43 million Americans depending on the measurement method used.
Under existing regulations, SNAP recipients must report income and basic information every four to six months and undergo complete recertification at least annually. The Trump administration has taken this oversight further, demanding that states provide detailed recipient data—including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and immigration status—to identify fraudulent activities.
This data request has created a partisan divide. Republican-led states plus North Carolina have complied, while most Democratic administrations have filed legal challenges, arguing the requirements violate recipients’ privacy rights.
From the data already collected, the USDA reports finding approximately 186,000 deceased individuals—about 1% of participants in the reporting states—still receiving benefits. The agency also identified roughly 500,000 people, or 2.7%, receiving benefits in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
The USDA has estimated in communications with non-compliant states that fraud and undetected errors could total $9 billion annually nationwide. Democratic state leaders countered last week that existing state-level systems already address fraud concerns, and that the USDA has not been transparent about its methodology for calculating these figures.
Fraud within SNAP takes various sophisticated forms. Criminal organizations place skimming devices on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card readers to steal recipient information, which is then used to duplicate cards or create fictitious beneficiaries. In one notable case, a Romanian man who was in the U.S. illegally pleaded guilty to skimming over 36,000 card numbers in California during a three-year operation.
Corruption within the system itself represents another vulnerability. A USDA employee recently pleaded guilty to accepting bribes for providing registration numbers for illegally placed EBT readers in New York delis—a scheme that processed over $30 million.
Mark Haskins, who worked on USDA investigations until August as a special investigations unit branch chief, believes common fraud scenarios like recipients exchanging benefits for cash or non-eligible items may actually exceed losses from organized crime. Both Haskins and Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government, suggest the total fraud cost significantly surpasses the USDA’s $9 billion estimate.
“The system is corrupt. It doesn’t need a fix here and there, it needs a complete overhaul,” Haskins said, advocating for a smaller retailer network and more frequent recipient reapplications, even if accessibility suffers.
However, data from the most recent comprehensive USDA fraud report (published in 2021 and covering 2015-2017) found that approximately 1.6% of benefits were improperly diverted. More recent figures show that between October 2022 and December 2024, the government replaced $323 million in stolen benefits—roughly 24 cents per $100 in SNAP disbursements, though this is likely an undercount.
These statistics lead many researchers to view fraud as problematic but less pervasive than claimed. Patricia Anderson, a Dartmouth College economist studying food insecurity, noted that the relatively modest benefit amounts—about $1,000 monthly maximum for a family of four—limit the potential gains for individual fraudsters. “It really takes organized crime that is either stealing from the EBT cards or creating a lot of fake recipients out of whole cloth before the gain for the fraudster really starts to be worth it,” she explained.
For recipients like 41-year-old Jamal Brown of Camden, New Jersey, the system presents challenges from multiple angles. While acknowledging he’s witnessed benefit selling at local stores and personally experienced benefit theft from card skimming, Brown also describes bureaucratic hurdles that disrupt legitimate access, such as benefits being terminated after missed recertification interviews.
“It’s always something that goes wrong,” Brown said, “unfortunately.”
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12 Comments
This is a complex issue with valid concerns on both sides. Overstating the fraud problem could unfairly demonize recipients, while ignoring it entirely risks misuse of taxpayer funds. A measured, data-driven approach is likely the best path forward.
Well said. Nuance and facts should guide policy decisions on SNAP, not political rhetoric.
As with any government program, vigilance against fraud in SNAP is warranted. However, the administration’s rhetoric seems to outpace the available evidence. A more measured, fact-based approach would be appropriate here.
Agreed. Inflammatory claims without robust data could erode public trust in an essential social safety net.
Maintaining the integrity of social safety net programs like SNAP is important, but the extent of fraud seems unclear. More data is needed to understand the true scale of the issue before taking aggressive enforcement actions.
Agreed. Balancing anti-fraud efforts with ensuring access to critical food assistance will be key.
This is a sensitive issue that requires a thoughtful, data-driven response. While SNAP fraud should be addressed, the administration’s aggressive stance may be premature given the lack of clear evidence on the scale of the problem.
Well stated. Maintaining program integrity is important, but not at the expense of unduly burdening vulnerable recipients.
The administration’s focus on SNAP fraud raises important questions. While some level of oversight is prudent, the scale of the issue remains unclear. Policymakers should tread carefully to avoid unintended consequences for those who genuinely need assistance.
Well put. Responsible stewardship of public funds is critical, but not at the expense of undermining food security for millions.
I’m curious to see the administration’s data on the extent of SNAP fraud. If the problem is significant, targeted reforms may be warranted. But broad crackdowns could harm vulnerable families who rely on this vital program.
Exactly. Any changes should be evidence-based and carefully weighed against the program’s important role.