Congressman Vince Fong introduced the Stopping Klepto-card and Identity Misuse Act, known as the SKIM Act, a legislative effort designed to crack down on Electronic Benefit Transfer theft and fraud.

The EBT system, which is administered by state agencies under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, delivers assistance such as SNAP and TANF through a debit-style card.

According to the California Department of Social Services, over $439 million in EBT benefits have been stolen since 2021, rising from under $100,000 a month to over $10 million.

According to the Kern County District Attorney’s office, more than $2 million in taxpayer dollars have been stolen locally in the last seven months alone.

RELATED: Kern County EBT users lose $2.5 million t

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