Tag Page SNAPFraud

#SNAPFraud
alan88

The Hidden Market: “SNAP Points for Uber Credits”

In a Houston WeChat community, there’s a secret exchange: 100 SNAP points → $50 in Uber credits. The system works like this: You give someone your SNAP card info; they use the balance to buy groceries, resell them for cash, and then send you Uber ride codes. One woman said she trades half her monthly SNAP balance every month because she works far from home. But then someone exposed the scheme: The reseller wasn’t actually reselling anything— he’d drain the whole balance and send fake Uber codes. The community exploded. Some said people were exploiting each other; some blamed the system’s loopholes; others claimed “still safer than selling for cash.” But the truth is: nearly everyone was participating in some level of wrongdoing— just in different forms. #SNAPFraud #UndergroundTrade #UrbanStruggles #TransportVsFood #WelfareReality

The Hidden Market: “SNAP Points for Uber Credits”
QuantumCrafter

Immigrant Mom Scammed by a “SNAP Shopping Group”

I know an immigrant mom with limited English who joined a WhatsApp group offering “SNAP shopping help.” The admin claimed they could “buy things she couldn’t easily buy herself.” She gave her SNAP card number and PIN, asking for chicken and rice. The next day, her balance was $14. The admin had used all $260, even posting receipts to brag: “If anyone else needs help, DM me.” When she tried reporting it, the staff said: “Since you shared your card info voluntarily, we can only document it. The balance can’t be restored.” She cried: “I just wanted meat for my kids. I don’t know the rules. I don’t know who to trust.” Others in the group said, “This happens all the time. Your mistake.” Poverty + language barrier + blind trust = disaster. #SNAPFraud #ImmigrantStories #EBTScam #SNAPStruggles #PolicyShock

Immigrant Mom Scammed by a “SNAP Shopping Group”
bramirez

The Uber Driver Offering “In-Car SNAP Deals”

I took an Uber to work, and the driver kept taking calls in Spanish. One word stood out: “EBT.” Right before I got out, he asked quietly: “Need cheaper groceries? I can swipe SNAP for you.” He said he works night shifts because his daytime is “full of orders.” The “orders” are people messaging him on Snapchat with shopping lists, asking him to purchase items with SNAP, then paying him about 60% in cash. He showed me the messages: 6 lbs of beef, 4 cartons of milk, kids’ yogurt, and even disinfecting wipes (not SNAP-eligible). I asked how he gets away with it. He said, “The cashier knows me. They’ll mark everything as ‘food.’” To him, it wasn’t fraud: “I’m just a middleman. These families need cash.” But some of those “families” were asking for $400 worth of groceries weekly and paying him only $250. Who’s helping who—and who’s exploiting who? Hard to tell. #SNAPFraud #EBTTrade #GigWorkStories #BackdoorDeals #SNAPDebate

The Uber Driver Offering “In-Car SNAP Deals”
Gloria Johnson

The Second Card Applied Under a Child’s Name

My neighbor’s sister recently had police knocking on her door because the system detected two SNAP cards under her name—even though she has only one child. It turned out she secretly used her ex-husband’s kid’s Social Security number to apply for another SNAP case. That kid lives in another state. She insisted she wasn’t stealing—just drowning in rising bills: “I just wanted more milk and cereal for my daughter.” But when the state reviewed her purchase history, they argued she’d been buying more than “basic needs.” The neighborhood split instantly: Some said she did it for her child; Some called it outright identity fraud; Others worried the kid’s credit could be affected later. #SNAPFraud #IdentityMisuse #FamilyStruggles #WelfareDebate #PolicyImpact

The Second Card Applied Under a Child’s Name
mhutchinson

The Farmers Market Stand That Took EBT but Gave No Produce — A Public Secret

At a weekend farmers market in Los Angeles, I noticed a booth that looked normal at first glance—vegetables displayed, vendor smiling. But something felt off. No one was bagging produce. No weighing. No customers walking away with food. Yet the EBT machine beeped nonstop. An older shopper whispered to me: “They run an exchange. Swipe $80 in SNAP, walk away with $40 cash. You don’t need the vegetables.” I looked at the wilted produce and realized it wasn’t meant to be sold. It existed only as a cover. Meanwhile, real vendors trying to offer affordable vegetables were pushed aside. A broken system creates broken incentives. #ShowUsTheBill #SNAPFraud #FarmersMarketIssues #EBTAbuse #CostOfLiving

The Farmers Market Stand That Took EBT but Gave No Produce — A Public Secret
jeremy82

Our Neighborhood Group Chat Shared a ‘Guide to Turning SNAP Into Cash’ — I Wish I Was Joking

In my neighborhood in South Chicago, we have a group chat where people usually discuss discounts, housing, or jobs. But last week, someone uploaded a PDF titled: “How to Legally (Not Really) Turn SNAP Into Usable Cash.” It listed: Which small stores do 50% cash exchanges Which supermarkets allow high-amount EBT gift card purchases How to turn EBT credit into Zelle Contact numbers for participating stores Every single method was illegal. Yet people replied: “Benefits are too low. This is survival.” “Americans do it too—why can’t we?” Meanwhile, the legit supermarket next door sells $100 worth of groceries that barely cover a week. Where exactly is the system breaking? #ShowUsTheBill #SNAPFraud #EBTTrafficking #RealAmerica #NeighborhoodTruths

Our Neighborhood Group Chat Shared a ‘Guide to Turning SNAP Into Cash’ — I Wish I Was Joking
Louis Hoover

I Watched a Corner Store Turn SNAP Benefits Into Cash — No Food, Just Money

I live in Queens, and there’s a tiny corner store near my apartment — the kind where the owner sees what you’re touching the moment you walk in. But it’s also the kind of store where SNAP fraud quietly happens every day. Last week, I was buying milk when the man in front of me said: “Swipe $120. Just give me $60.” The owner didn’t even look up. “Same deal as usual.” He swiped his EBT card, took no groceries, grabbed $60 cash, and walked right out. I stood there thinking: My paycheck gets taxed every two weeks without fail. Meanwhile, SNAP — meant to help families buy food — is being turned into a cash-exchange service. And the funniest part? This same store prices things so high that families who actually need help can’t afford to shop there. So who’s really being cheated? #SNAPFraud #WhereAreOurTaxesGoing #EBTAbuse #CommunityStories

I Watched a Corner Store Turn SNAP Benefits Into Cash — No Food, Just Money