ALBANY COUNTY — People getting federal benefits to buy food are being skimmed, according to reports received by the Albany County Department of Social Services.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, distributes benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards.

 Skimming occurs when a device that is illegally installed inside of a card-reader terminal captures card data and records cardholders’ Personal Identification Number, or PIN, entries, according to a release from the county.

Skimming can also occur if a store has installed a “fraudulent EBT card point of sale machine,” the county says, which is much harder to detect and often not known until benefits have been stolen right after the next benefit upload.

State rules allow certain temporary-assistance cash benefits to be replaced if they have been stolen through electronic means like card-skimming, cloning, third-party misrepresentation, or other similar fraudulent methods such as phishing. However, SNAP benefits can no longer be replaced if stolen.

The state’s Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance has released the ebtEDGE app to help secure EBT cards, protecting from scam-related theft. The freeze/unfreeze card feature in the ebtEDGE app helps households secure their EBT card and protect their benefits from theft by blocking purchases, balance inquiries, and transactions.

Before purchasing food, cardholders can unfreeze their card with the ebtEDGE app and freeze it again after checkout. The ebtEDGE app is available on both the Android or Apple app store.

A step-by-step guide on using the app is available at https://otda.ny.gov/programs/publications/5261.pdf

In addition to using the ebtEDGE, the county also advises: changing your PIN frequently, regularly checking your EBT account for unauthorized charges, locking your card immediately after use, inspecting card readers for loose or suspicious components, avoiding use of tempered devices, and spreading these safety tips with friends and family who have EBT cards.

Residents who believe their benefits have been skimmed are urged to make a report to their local police department and to call the Albany County Department of Social Services by dialing 518-447-7300 to request a replacement of their EBT Card.

“It is extremely distressing when residents who are simply trying to buy groceries for themselves and their families are checking out at stores only to find that they no longer have SNAP benefits left for their purchase,” said the county’s Social Services commissioner, Erin Stachewicz, in a statement. “I strongly encourage SNAP recipients to use ebtEDGE to lock and unlock their card and also change your PIN after each time you utilize your benefits.”