NEW YORK (WABC) — A group of defendants accused of operating what prosecutors described as a “fraud factory” stole more than $7 million in SNAP benefits by repeatedly using stolen EBT card information, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege the scheme targeted low-income New Yorkers who rely on food assistance benefits, draining funds intended to help them buy food. Authorities say the stolen benefits were converted into cash and used to purchase luxury vehicles.
“They were people who were going to withdraw funds using an EBT card and the money was gone,” a law enforcement official said.
According to court documents, the defendants are accused of conspiring to “steal more than $7 million” by “using the names of existing or fictitious delis to obtain credit card and EBT processing accounts.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said investigators…
Cyber fraud uses technology as the primary weapon. It is highly scalable and can be conducted from anywhere in the world.
- Phishing/Smishing/Vishing: Using deceptive emails (phishing), text messages (smishing), or phone calls (vishing) to trick victims into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): A high-value scam where a criminal impersonates a CEO or high-level executive via a “spoofed” email address to trick a staff member into making an urgent, unauthorized wire transfer.