New York Food Stamps Skimming Bill Passes Assembly

Assemblyman Sam Berger combats EBT Skimming with new bill in the New York State Assemblyman.

As FrumNews.com reported several times, Food Stamp (EBT) skimming scams have increased over the past several months in New York and New Jersey, directly affecting the frum communities of Brooklyn, Monsey, and Lakewood. Hundreds of frum residents from each community are reporting that their EBT benefits have been emptied.

EBT skimming fraud happens silently and often without the victims’ knowledge. Scammers enter stores and place hidden skimming devices over or inside card-reading machines at legitimate retailers to copy card and PIN information directly.

Among the efforts we reported on to curb EBT fraud was Frum Assemblyman Sam Berger‘s bill to prevent fraud by requiring EBT systems to allow benefit recipients to cancel and  lock their food stamps card when fraud has been suspected or reported.

Good news on this issue: This bill passed the Assembly and has been transferred to the State Senate, which is expected to pass.

Frum Assemblyman Sam Berger released a statement to FrumNews.com on the passage of the bill, “As far as details, the Bill passed unanimously in the Assembly and must now be passed in the Senate. Bills typically have a harder time getting passed in the Assembly so this is a major step in passing this legislation. Thanking my colleagues in the Assembly.”

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FrumNews.com has been informed, that although this skimming scam is mostly happening at hundreds of local NYC bodegas, Kosher grocery stores and supermarkets in Brooklyn and Queens are having their frum managers check almost daily the devices to make sure no skimmers are being placed.