New Jersey Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22) and state Senator Brian Stack (D-33) joined U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) to discuss complementary bills being introduced at the state and federal level to stop benefit scammers.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“For recipients of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs, commonly known as SNAP, and the Work First New Jersey Program, which is WFNJ, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC, we have seen victims of these crimes rise dramatically,” Scutari said at the Union County Social Services Department in Elizabeth this morning.
“There is currently no recourse to replace these benefits that were stolen from them, leaving them totally vulnerable … Union County alone, there were over 2,600 incidents of fraud, which in turn cost the county recipients over $1.1 million.”
Bill S-2873, sponsored by Scutari and Stack, directs the commissioners of Human Services and Health to provide information to recipients of the SNAP, WFNJ), and WIC regarding card skimming and cloning.
Gottheimer, widely expected to seek the Democratic nomination for governor next year with Stack and Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, also the chair of the county Democrats, backing him, explained the particulars of bill.
“Called the Stop Scammers Card Abuse and Malicious Skimming Act, or the Stop Scams Act, the Stop Scams Act does two critical things in the same vein as the bill here in our state,” the congressman began.
“First, it requires agencies to inform SNAP, WIC, and TANF recipients at the risk of card skimming that there are other opportunities for recourse for benefits if they are stolen. Second, is requires the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture … to issue cybersecurity and digital regulations to the states to solve EBTs technological vulnerabilities.”
Stack noted that in one instance, his office in Union City saw 240 benefit recipients complaint about being scammed in one week, also noting he runs a food bank out of his civic association.
“[This is] something that shouldn’t happen in this state or in America, considering the resources and what we have in this company, but to somebody’s benefits, the most vulnerable, stolen, like the story that we just heard is heartbreaking,” he said.
Tiffany Edwards spoke prior to the elected officials and revealed that she had been victim of two credit card skimming scams in just one month.
The FBI estimates that skimmers, which are covertly installed on top of payment terminals and ATMs, cost American consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion a year. Scammers have targeted EBT cards, which service SNAP, WIC, and TANF benefits, because they lack an embedded chip, making it easier to steal their card data.
Between October 2022 and February 2024, New Jersey has reimbursed more than $2.8 million in benefits to more than 6,200 victims of skimming.
“Thank you, Congressman Gottheimer, for your attention to this crucial issue, and thank you to Senate President Scutari and Mayor Stack for your leadership on this vital legislation,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Kimberly Palmieri Mouded said in a statement.
“In Union County, we have seen firsthand the devastating impact that welfare scams have had on our residents. These fraudulent activities undermine trust in our social services system and divert essential resources from those who truly need them. Our most vulnerable populations — seniors, low-income families, and individuals with disabilities — are particularly affected, often left with no support to rely on for everyday essentials.”
