New Data from Propel Reveals Scale of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Theft Crisis Hitting SNAP Families Nationwide

Drawing survey data from 8,000+ EBT cardholders, Propel’s report exposes how fraud is draining hundreds of millions from nation’s most vulnerable households

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, April 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Every month, millions of American families rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table. But for too many, those funds are being stolen before they can ever be used, as increasingly sophisticated criminal networks turn EBT theft into a growing national crisis. Today, Propel, a company building technology to strengthen the social safety net, released its comprehensive EBT Theft Report, offering a clear and detailed look at how this fraud is harming SNAP recipients across the country.

The report draws on a national survey of more than 8,000 EBT cardholders and insights from Propel’s platform, which engages with over 5 million Americans every month.

“Propel reaches over 25% of SNAP households every month, so we have a unique vantage point and platform to help,” said Jimmy Chen, Founder and CEO of Propel. “Families who rely on EBT cards often lack a financial buffer, so having your EBT benefits stolen can directly result in skipped meals. This is an urgent issue for millions of American families."

According to the report, Propel’s data estimates that more than $600 million in SNAP benefits were stolen in 2025 alone – affecting roughly 1 in 5 SNAP households. For families already living on the edge, the consequences are immediate and severe:

• 57% of theft victims skipped or reduced meals as a direct result of EBT theft;
• 43% went into debt to cover basic needs;
• ~2/3 of victims lost over $250 in their most recent incident; nearly 1/3 lost over $500.

Propel’s report reveals that EBT theft is increasingly organized, cross-state, and strategically timed. Criminal networks are exploiting the moment benefits are deposited, draining accounts before families have a chance to respond.

Additional Findings From The Report:

• Today’s fraud prevention systems are largely reactive. The most widely used protection (according to 56% of respondents) is simply never sharing your card number or PIN.

• The demand for systemic change is coming from recipients themselves. 53% of respondents say that they want to use a chip card (up from 34%) and 60% say they would feel reassured by automatic 24/7 fraud monitoring that blocks suspicious transactions.

• Proactive measures work. In CA, the introduction of EBT chip cards dropped the % of EBT theft victims from 19% to 8%.

The solutions needed are improved data visibility across state systems, real-time fraud protections built into EBT infrastructure, and better coordination across the agencies, states, and technology providers that touch the benefit delivery system every day. In the meantime, Propel remains committed to protecting cardholders: today, the Propel app is the largest driver of security feature adoption in the EBT landscape, and will continue working with policymakers to make systemic protection a reality for every cardholder.

Methodology

Propel conducted this survey across its user base, with a total of 8,164 EBT cardholders responding. All percentages reflect the full respondent pool. Questions about theft experiences - including loss amounts, transaction types, geographic location, and household impact - were directed to the 1,451 respondents who reported being victimized at least once in the past year.

The full EBT Theft Report is available here.

About Propel
Propel is a company that builds technology that strengthens the safety net in America. For more than 10 years, we’ve been building best-in-class technology for people who receive government benefits. Through the Propel app, a free mobile app for people who receive SNAP and other benefits via EBT, we provide balance checking, transaction history, job search support, and money saving offers to more than five million Americans each month. The Propel app has earned more than 1-million 5-star reviews.

Through Propel for States, we partner with state human service agencies to support their efforts to respond to H.R. 1’s new requirements, reduced administrative support, and cost sharing penalties. We help states reduce errors and increase compliance without new systems or staff.

Propel
press@joinpropel.com
summer@tuskstrategies.com

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.