Michigan taxpayers will get extra protection against food stamp fraud thanks in part to reporting by Michigan Capitol Confidential. The 2026 budget includes funding to upgrade Bridge Cards from magnetic stripes to chip-enabled technology that will make it harder to steal user information.
When the House approved a bill in September requiring chip-enabled Bridge Cards, bill sponsor Rep. Jason Woolford, R-Howell, pointed to a monthslong CapCon investigation of Bridge Card fraud. Woolford cited our report that payments tied to fraud in Michigan’s food stamp program jumped 387% from fiscal 2023 to 2024, costing taxpayers at least $14 million. The budget signed in October went further, appropriating $16 million for the upgrade.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides benefits to 1.4 million Michiganders each month. Recipients currently use Bridge Cards with magnetic strips, which are easily cloned by scammers using skimming devices.
Woolford said the legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Services to issue chip-enabled cards with stronger security protections.
“Taxpayer dollars should never be vulnerable to criminals who are looking to exploit hardworking Michigan families,” Woolford said. “By adding secure chip technology to Bridge Cards, we can better protect families while ensuring taxpayer resources are used for their intended purpose.”
Fraud victims have shared stories of stolen benefits drained from hundreds of miles away. In Detroit, Kaiysha Warner lost $762 overnight when her benefits were accessed from Massachusetts. In Flint, Ella Montez Hodo saw $360 vanish the same way, stolen from New York.
State records show the scale of the problem. In 2024 alone, Michigan issued more than 269,000 replacement Bridge Cards — an average of 738 every day.
Local records also reveal dozens of fraud cases, from 30 in Kalamazoo to 137 in Dearborn.
By moving to chip-enabled cards Michigan has taken a significant step toward stopping criminals from stealing food aid meant for the state’s poorest residents.
