MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Contract Review Committee on Tuesday approved an $8.5 million contract from the Department of Human Resources to help mitigate food assistance fraud in Alabama.
The one-year contract with New Jersey-based Conduent State and Local Solutions Inc. will identify and mitigate Electronic Benefit Transfer cardholder losses and “improve cardholder control of EBT account activity.” The partnership with Conduent will also help Alabama’s EBT cards meet “industry standards.”
Brandon Hardin, who manages Alabama’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for DHR, said the department has already updated cards to be chip cards and started processes to allow users to control their cards with their phones. Cards now default to lock out of state and online purchases, he said.
The contract with Conduent comes two months after the committee approved a more than $12…
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.