U.S. Representative French Hill (R-Arkansas-02) has named the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the latest recipient of his Golden Fleece Award, criticizing the agency for what he called its failure to prevent widespread electronic theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from vulnerable families.
Hill announced the award Tuesday, citing findings from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) showing that states replaced more than $320 million in stolen SNAP benefits between October 2022 and December 2024 after criminals used electronic scams to steal recipients’ benefits before they could purchase groceries.
According to the GAO, criminals have increasingly relied on card skimming, card cloning and phishing scams to obtain Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card information, allowing them to drain SNAP accounts almost immediately after benefits are deposited.
Hill said the growing fraud is hurting the nation’s most vulnerable residents while costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
“SNAP dollars should go to hungry families, not fraudsters,” Hill said. “Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken from someone who needs help buying groceries. I appreciate the Trump Administration’s work to go after criminals stealing SNAP benefits, and I urge the USDA to bring that same urgency to stopping electronic theft before it happens, not just chasing it after the fact. Families who rely on SNAP need to know the money will be there, and taxpayers in Arkansas and across America deserve to know their hard-earned tax dollars are being protected.”
Arkansas Families Among Those Impacted
Hill highlighted the impact the fraud has had in Arkansas.
According to the Arkansas Department of Human Services, more than 1,100 Arkansas families had their SNAP benefits stolen through card-skimming scams during 2024, resulting in losses totaling more than $550,000.
The congressman also referenced warnings issued by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, who has cautioned that criminals often access EBT card funds without recipients’ knowledge before quickly spending the money outside Arkansas.
Hill noted that the USDA itself has acknowledged criminals are exploiting outdated EBT technology through skimming devices, cloned cards, phishing attacks and other electronic schemes.
Nearly 43 Million Americans Receive SNAP
In a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Hill emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of the SNAP program.
According to Hill, SNAP is expected to provide approximately $96 billion in benefits during Fiscal Year 2025, serving about 43 million Americans nationwide.
In Arkansas alone, approximately 240,400 residents receive SNAP benefits each month, representing roughly 7.7 percent of the state’s population.
Hill said protecting those benefits is critical for low-income families, seniors, individuals with disabilities and children who depend on the program to purchase groceries.
Calls for Greater Accountability
Hill praised the Trump Administration for making SNAP fraud enforcement a priority and acknowledged the USDA’s Special Investigations Unit has worked with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute criminals responsible for stealing benefits.
However, he argued more must be done to prevent the theft before it occurs.
In his letter, Hill urged USDA officials to provide Congress with detailed state-by-state reporting showing:
The number of households affected by SNAP theft.
The total amount of benefits stolen.
Steps being taken to improve security.
Whether Congress should provide additional authority to better protect recipients.
Hill also asked USDA officials to notify Congress if additional legislative authority is needed to strengthen electronic protections for SNAP recipients.
He concluded by saying taxpayers deserve assurance that federal dollars are being protected while families who depend on SNAP should never have to worry about their grocery benefits disappearing because of electronic fraud.
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