Bloomfield Officials: Don’t Let Someone Steal Your Food, Cash Benefits

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — If you were recently ripped off for food and cash assistance benefits, there may be a way of getting the funds back, Bloomfield town officials say.

Last week, Mayor Michael Venezia and the Township of Bloomfield released an advisory for local residents in the wake of incidents involving food and cash assistance benefit theft.

According to a municipal news release, households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and/or the General Assistance (GA) cash assistance program can request reimbursement for electronically stolen benefits dating back to October 1, 2022.

“We strongly encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to benefit theft,” Mayor Michael Venezia said.

“By working together, we can combat these crimes and protect the well-being of our community's most vulnerable members,” Venezia said.

Benefits can be electronically stolen in the following ways, Bloomfield officials said:

• Skimming - Illegally attaching a device to a point-of-sale machine to steal EBT card information or a PIN
• Cloning - Copying stolen EBT card information to a new card
• Scamming/Phishing - Convincing someone to disclose their EBT card information, often by a phone call or text message that pretends to be from an official government agency

Cardholders whose Families First card benefits were stolen before July 1, 2023 will have until August 31, 2023 to submit a request for replacement. Cardholders whose benefits are stolen after July 1, 2023 will have 30 days from the date they discovered the theft to submit a request.

“Cardholders are encouraged to immediately re-PIN or replace their Families First card to protect their benefits going forward,” town officials said.

The Request for Replacement form can be found at www.NJSNAP.gov or by contacting the county board of social services.

The Bloomfield Department of Human Services is available to assist residents to submit their claim form. Contact (973) 680-4017 or visit the township website for more information.

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