Chip the Card, Stop the Thieves: Trump's USDA Moves to End the Skimming Scam Draining Food Benefits
In a proposed rule published Oct. 23, USDA would require states to issue chip-and-tap EBT cards, and SNAP retailers to accept them, within two years of a final rule, after at least $360 million in skimmed benefits were replaced with federal funds. In our view, it is overdue protection for families and taxpayers alike.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 23, 2026 | 6-min read Picture a grandmother at the checkout line, groceries bagged, only to learn her monthly food benefits are gone. A thief planted a skimming device on a card reader weeks earlier, copied her card and drained the account. It has happened again and again, because the cards used for food assistance still rely on the same magnetic stripe technology that most bank cards left behind years ago. This week, President Trump's Agriculture Department moved to end that. In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Friday, it would require states to switch to chip-and-tap Electronic Benefit Transfer cards [1]. In our view, this is common sense that protects both the families who depend on the program and the taxpayers who fund it. Key Takeaways USDA proposed requiring states to issue EBT cards with chip and contactless (NFC) technology, and SNAP retailers to accept them, within two years of a final rule [1][2]. USDA cites at least $360 million in stolen benefits replaced with federal funds through