Is it time for Arkansas to update its SNAP cards for better security?

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The increasing number of SNAP card scams in Arkansas can be used to indicate a need for more secure cards.

Attorney General Tim Griffin said on Monday that the scams are on the rise in the state. In a release, he stated that one of the reasons SNAP benefits are being stolen is that thieves are placing skimmers on card readers at retail locations.

The cards allow holders to purchase groceries through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Scammers develop methods, including skimmers, to take the money allocated to the cards.

According to the FBI, SNAP cards are popular for thieves using skimmers because in most states, the cards are issued without a security chip. A spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Human Services confirmed that Arkansas cards do not have a security chip.

The embedded security chip, which began being added to credit and debit cards in 2015, has reduced fraud for these types of cards. Reported figures show that fraud dropped 76% when chipped cards use became widespread.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program at the federal level, only one state, California, is issuing the cards with an embedded security chip. Oklahoma, Alabama, New Jersey and Maryland, however, are in the process of implementing security chips in the cards issued there.

USDA is encouraging a changeover to embedded chip cards in all states.

Because Arkansas is on Oklahoma’s border, according to USDA, retailers who accept SNAP must be prepared to accept chipped cards as may be presented by Oklahoma residents.

SNAP cards with security chips will not be a cure-all, however. Griffin said on Monday that scammers will also use impersonation or send fake messages, known as “phishing,” to fool cardholders into disclosing their information. This was also confirmed by the FBI.

DHS officials stated on Friday that they are working with their card issuer to enhance security on the cards.

The National Governors Association stated in a December 2024 release that Arkansas had increased security on its SNAP cards that year by collaborating with the card issuer.