RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A year after the federal government stopped funding reimbursement for SNAP benefit theft, Virginians have reported more than five million dollars in losses. SNAP benefit theft is not a new problem in Central Virginia, however, many families had the opportunity to report the ir theft previously, with hopes that the money would be returned through federal funding. Although, on December 21, 2024, the federal program ended. 8News spoke with several families since then who say they were left trying to make ends meet while they questioned why Congress would not continue to fund reimbursement. States were given the option to use their own funds to reimburse families. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), the Commonwealth does not have the funding to replace EBT benefits. The state also added that they were not aware of any locality that has used its own funds to make families whole. Since the program ended, VDSS said that 11,232 Virginians have reported SNAP benefit theft totaling more than $5 million. From 2023 to 2024, the state issued more than $8 million in reimbursements to victims. Now, those millions of dollars are no longer replenished. A spokesperson from the department told 8News that, although funding support is not available, they are prioritizing fraud management and security. Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved a $3 million investment in EBT to replace them with more secure chip cards. The state should begin to roll out these cards in the fall of 2026. In addition to new chip technology, the state is collaborating with the Virginia State Police to remove card skimmers from stores. In October, the state said it removed five devices from communities. Virginia has also recently launched the lock card feature in the ConnectEBT app, allowing recipients to lock their card after every use to block out-of-state transactions. Since January 2025, VDSS has reported a sharp drop in fraud incidents since starting this feature. SNAP Scam Prevention Tips Check your card balance often Create a strong password Keep your account information to yourself Examine payment devices for skimming technology For tips, visit the VDSS website. ...read more read less