Theft and fraud are rife in Michigan’s food stamp program, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported in a groundbreaking series, and the problem is rapidly getting worse.
The state paid out more than $14 million in fraudulent claims in fiscal year 2024. That is more than the estimated $8 million it would cost taxpayers to apply a technical fix that could significantly reduce fraud.
Low-income Michiganders often don’t even know thieves have stolen their benefits until they’re standing in line at the store and their card is declined. But thieves steal from food stamp recipients through a variety of schemes:
Installing card skimmers at grocery stores, gas stations, and liquor stores to clone cards and drain accounts.
Buying stolen card data on the dark web.
Running phishing scams.
The scope of the problem is statewide. Records show 30 victims in Kalamazoo alone filed police reports about stolen Bridge Card benefits in 2024. CapCon obtained these records through a Freedom of Information Act request, and we are still awaiting data from Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Dearborn, Livonia and Westland.
When criminals steal food benefits, they take food off the plates of Michiganders who struggle the most.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is meant to help only those with very low incomes. A single person must earn less than $2,510 per month to qualify.
Michigan Capitol Confidential broke this story about stolen benefits and has published five investigative pieces so far. In one case, we waited 599 days for public records that show in detail how the state is failing to safeguard the public trust.
We are Michigan’s watchdogs. With your help, we’ll keep digging.
