Large Apple grinches stole “1000’s of {dollars}” of federally-funded meals stamps from a Queens senior residing middle’s residents simply weeks earlier than the vacations, in line with a charity and the constructing’s workers.
B’nai B’rith Queens residents have been left questioning how they might afford latke substances or Christmas ham after thieves sneakily filched Supplemental Vitamin Help Program advantages this month in a cold-hearted scheme affecting 26 households, in line with the flats’ service coordinator Davia Smith.
“That is the Grinch that stole your advantages earlier than the vacations,” David Greenfield, government director of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty charity, advised The Submit.
“$100, $200 could not appear to be rather a lot to me and also you, however if you happen to’re on a hard and fast revenue and your revenue is $900 a month … that’s the distinction between having breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
It’s unclear the place the residents have been focused, however Greenfield mentioned crooks typically place skimming units on card-reading machines at grocery shops and delis and that the thieves drained “1000’s of {dollars}” from the seniors’ accounts.
Replenishing stolen SNAP advantages can take so long as a month, Greenfield mentioned. To offer the silver-haired B’nai B’rith victims some consolation, the Met Council on Friday dropped off 54 packing containers crammed with groceries corresponding to canned tuna and different shelf-stabled merchandise, together with 54 packing containers every of cleansing provides and winter garments.
B’nai B’rith resident Lyudmila Akhtyrchenko, who alongside along with her husband was robbed of $309 in SNAP advantages, shared her gratitude again and again for the vacation miracle whereas carrying off her haul.
“We received a brand new EBT card, that may assist us, however we’re ready [for the money to be replenished] and thus far nothing,” Akhtyrchenko, 85, mentioned, including that her daughter has stepped in to cook dinner and host their household’s Hanukkah dinner subsequent week.
Between Dec. 1 and Dec. 19, town’s Division of Social Companies has acquired 5,543 claims for substitute SNAP advantages, a 30.8% bounce from the 4,237 claims throughout the identical interval in 2023.
The workplace of Metropolis Councilwoman Sandra Ung, whose district consists of B’nai B’rith Queens, mentioned it has acquired 1,990 complaints about EBT fraud since Aug. 11
“We’d like actual motion to make EBT playing cards safer, in order that these crimes turn into more durable to commit,” mentioned Ung.
“Till we tackle this situation, thieves will proceed to use the gaps in our system, and extra households will undergo in consequence.”
Mitchell Smith, a spokesman for B’nai B’rith, mentioned there had been “an uptick in stolen SNAP Advantages” lately, however famous the constructing’s administration has been educating residents to keep away from falling for EBT scams.
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