More than 300 clients are impacted and an estimated over $36,000 has been stolen, according to the Center for Refugee Services.
SAN ANTONIO — A widespread scam targeting SNAP benefits is leaving hundreds of refugee families in San Antonio without immediate money to buy food.
Margaret Costantino, executive director of the Center for Refugee Services (CRS), noted the scale of the fraud is unlike anything she’s encountered in her 15 years on the job.
“I have never seen a scam this widespread in the 15 years I’ve been doing this work,” Costantino said.
The organization supports more than 6,000 refugees, many of them families from Afghanistan who resettled in the Alamo City after the U.S. military withdrew from the country after 20 years.
Back in June, Constantino said, families began reporting that their food stamp accounts had mysteriously been drained.
“We had clients coming and telling us that their food stamp accounts were empty. In one day, that was seven or eight people. The following day, there were more,” she said.
The center quickly contacted the Texas Health and Human Services and learned that the problem wasn’t isolated, it was part of a nationwide scheme targeting SNAP recipients.
So far, Costantino estimates that over $36,000 has been stolen from more than 300 clients in San Antonio.
Costantino stressed fraud isn’t slowing down as at least a dozen people came into CRS to report unauthorized charges on their Lone Star card.
“We’ve seen several clients with big families that had over a thousand dollars wiped out overnight, meaning zero money left to buy food,” Costantino said.
To make matters worse, many victims won’t see that money returned. A federal reimbursement program that had allowed recipients to recover stolen SNAP funds expired on December 20, 2024, after Congress did not renew the replacement program.
“To take money away from a family that has children, in my opinion, is a very, very ugly crime,” Costantino said.
CRS is now focused on helping affected families however they can, distributing emergency food supplies and sharing resources for other local food banks. Staff members are also encouraging clients to freeze their Lone Star card accounts between purchases as a precaution.
“They should freeze their accounts before they make a purchase and then unfreeze their accounts,” Costantino said. “You can do that on Your Texas Benefits app.”
Although the financial blow is devastating, CRS is doing its best to offer guidance and comfort during what Costantino calls a confusing and demoralizing time. That’s where the CRS food pantry has been very instrumental in recent weeks to help families in need.
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