AUGUSTA-- The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is alerting EBT cardholders of the reported theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this week. So far, this has impacted approximately 300 Maine households, stealing approximately $76,000. This incident is still unfolding, and the number of households affected may increase.
DHHS' Office for Family Independence (OFI) has identified benefits are being stolen via fraudulent point of sale devices registered in New York, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, though as the situation evolves other fraudulent terminals may be identified in other locations. OFI is aware that a number of other states are also being impacted by this mass theft of benefits. Upon learning of the theft from affected clients, OFI immediately contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) to block impacted terminals at the known locations and to conduct an investigation. Maine's EBT vendor, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), has also engaged its fraud investigation team.
"This incident appears to be the result of large-scale theft involving stolen card numbers and PINs -- sometimes referred to as 'cloning' -- rather than a localized skimming device," said DHHS' OFI Director Ian Yaffe. "While this type of fraud and theft have occurred in other states, this is the first time we have seen it at this scale in Maine. We are working with the federal government and our EBT vendor, Fidelity Information Services, to do all we can to prevent further theft of benefits from Maine people who rely on SNAP to supplement their monthly food budget. We urge all Maine SNAP recipients to change their EBT card PIN and go to the Pinetree Card website or the ebtEDGE app to enable personal protections on their cards."
Impact to Clients
SNAP benefits help low-income individuals and families afford food by supplementing their monthly grocery budget. The monthly assistance supports a household's food budget, reducing hunger and food insecurity. In July 2025, around $29 million in SNAP benefits were provided to approximately 173,000 Mainers.
The impacted households had recently received their August SNAP benefits and now face having no food assistance until September. Under federal rules, stolen SNAP benefits may not be replaced.
How to Protect EBT Benefits
OFI is proactively contacting affected clients where possible and working to order new EBT cards for these households. EBT cardholders are encouraged to take steps to protect their accounts, including:
- Use the Lock/Unlock Feature in the ebtEDGE app or online to temporarily block access to benefits when not in use.
- Block Out-of-State or Online Transactions if these are not regularly needed.
- Regularly Review Account Activity to spot suspicious transactions quickly.
- Change the PIN Now and Regularly: PINs can be updated at any time, including right before issuance. Frequent PIN updates can help protect accounts. Updating a PIN can be done through FIS's automated system by calling 1-800-477-7428.
- Choose a Strong PIN: Avoid simple PINs that are easy to guess like 0000,1234, or birthdates.
These actions must be initiated by clients themselves. For security reasons, OFI cannot make these changes on a cardholder's behalf, whether in person or by phone.
DHHS will continue to work closely with FNS, law enforcement, and its EBT vendor to stop the theft and protect Maine families.
For More Information
If you need support using ebtEDGE cardholder portal website or mobile application, you can call FIS at 1-800-477-7428. For detailed instructions on locking/unlocking their card and blocking out-of-state or online use the ebtEDGE User Guide for Cardholder Portal and Mobile Application (PDF)