Shopping Frenzy in Louisiana during EBT card malfunction 10142013
Last month during an EBT system malfunction, more than 12,000 SNAP recipients across the state of Louisiana went on a shopping frenzy with their EBT cards.
During the time that the system was down, the limits on the EBT cards were removed enabling SNAP recipients to purchase food and non-EBT approved items that included purchases that far exceeded the limit as legally dispatched to each recipient.
Their shopping binge by many was clearly fraudulent and intentional; many of those who committed fraud were no longer in the SNAP program or had low balances.
… It is unclear how many recipients stand in line to lose benefits for a year, but more than 12,000 received an insufficient funds notice when the EBT card system was corrected on Oct.12, the report said…. The frenzy at some stores was likened to the busiest shopping day of the year. ‘It was worse than any Black Friday,…’
The penalties are as follows:
First time offenders will be suspended from the SNAP program for one year. Second time offenders, will receive a 24-month suspension and a third offense will result in permanent disqualification from the SNAP program.
On the same day, 17 states were affected by the EBT system malfunction. SNAP recipients were unable to use their card for approximately 18 hours which resulted in riots in some areas.
Clearly, the fraudsters, many of whom have families, did not think about the repercussions of their actions.
See my October 14th post entitled, “Food Stamp Recipients Fraudulently Empty Walmart Shelves in Midst of EBT Card Glitch.”
LINKS:
http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=602
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/07/after-last-months-shopping-frenzy-louisiana-governor-looks-to-strip-food-stamps/
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I hope the penalties stand but I am skeptical. I can just see Rev Sharpton pulling together a protest, can’t you?
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Under orders from the White House most certainly. Yet all were silent when these thugs committed fraud.
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