Arkansas Advocate: Thefts of summer food benefits require card PIN changes, officials say

 A volunteer helps with food distribution for a summer food program for Arkansas students on July 3, 2025. | Arkansas Advocate photo by Ainsley Platt

By AINSLEY PLATT | Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Department of Human Services officials said recipients of summer nutrition assistance benefits need to change the PINs on their cards due to benefit thefts.

The department said in a news release it was unsure how the thieves were taking the benefits, which were loaded onto cards. The department said it identified transactions in several northeastern states such as New York and New Jersey that it believed were “likely to be fraudulent.”

Gavin Lesnick, the spokesperson for the department, said in an email that the department began receiving reports of the thefts shortly after funds were loaded on cards on May 26. More than 200 people have reported thefts to the department since then, he said.

“We believe more families than that have been victimized,” he added. “We are continuing to analyze the data, and we do not have a full estimate yet on the number of accounts that were affected or the total amount stolen.”

A card will not work until its personal identification number has been changed “in order to prevent additional fraudulent activity,” the release said. The department said it was not allowed to replace stolen benefits.

“Stealing benefits meant to feed children during the summer is a despicable and heinous crime, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) is outraged that some families in our state have been victimized,” said DHS Secretary Janet Mann in a news release. “We know that resetting the PIN may present an inconvenience to families, but this is a necessary step to thwart ongoing fraud.”

The summer EBT program is for families who are eligible for free or reduced price school meals, with the funds meant to reduce hunger when school is out of session.

Officials said they did not believe there had been a broader breach of the system used to administer the benefits, which are federally funded, though an internal investigation is underway. 

The vendor that provided the cards given to summer EBT beneficiaries had been “asked for assurances that there is no compromise in their process or system” as well, said Mary Franklin, the director of the department’s Division of County Operations.

Instructions for how summer EBT recipients can change the PINs on their cards can be found here.