ANNAPOLIS — Maryland families who rely on food and cash benefits are losing far less to card thieves since the state switched to chip-and-tap EBT cards, and anyone still carrying an old magnetic-stripe card is running out of time to switch.
From July through September, the state reimbursed about $898,000 in stolen benefits, down 71% from roughly $3.14 million in the same three months of 2025, Gov. Wes Moore’s office and the Maryland Department of Human Services announced Oct. 21. The state estimates it saved about $2.2 million in those first three months.
Fewer people reported thefts, too. Claims for stolen benefits fell 65%, from 8,817 to 3,062.
The figures measure what the state paid back, not all fraud. The state credits the drop to several changes made together: the chip cards, stronger fraud monitoring, tighter checks on claims and a new EBT processor. It did not break out how much each one contributed.
Program by program
Reimbursements for stolen benefits fell in every major program, comparing July-September 2025 with the same period this year:
- SNAP: $2.54 million to $678,000, down 73%
- Cash Assistance: $555,000 to $208,000, down 62%
- SUN Bucks summer food benefits: $49,000 to $10,500, down 79%
Maryland was the fourth state to put chips in EBT cards, which make data stolen by card skimmers much harder to use. Skimming devices hidden on store card readers had drained benefits from households nationwide, and states had been paying many of those losses back.
“Our highest priority is ensuring that vital food and cash assistance reach the Maryland families who need them—not the criminals attempting to steal them,” Acting Human Services Secretary Stacy L. Rodgers said in the announcement.
The release did not include county-level figures for Calvert, Charles or St. Mary’s.
What cardholders need to do
The state says old magnetic-stripe-only cards will be deactivated soon, though it did not give a date. Cardholders should:
- Activate the new card right away, using the instructions that came with it or by calling 1-800-997-2222.
- Set a new PIN. Activation isn’t complete until that’s done, and once it is, the old card stops working automatically.
- If no new card arrived, call 1-800-997-2222 and report the card lost, missing or stolen, or visit the local department of social services.
- Update a changed address at MarylandBenefits.gov, through the DHS Call Center at 1-800-332-6347 or at a local social services office.
Benefit amounts, balances and deposit schedules do not change with the new card, the state said.
