Protecting the Poor: A Deep Dive into EBT Skimming and Solutions to Combat It

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards provide individuals receiving government assistance for food and other necessities a convenient way to access their benefits for purchases and cash withdrawals. Unfortunately, these cards have become targets for criminals who exploit them through a method known as card skimming.

This paper examines why EBT cards are vulnerable to skimming and explores potential preventive measures. A comprehensive analysis of the payment technology used in EBT cards was conducted to address this issue. Furthermore, real-world skimming equipment and techniques were assessed and replicated to identify additional controls that could disrupt or thwart such attacks. These methods were evaluated for their effectiveness in providing protection.

The findings indicate that adopting newer payment card technologies and incorporating enhanced security measures into payment systems can significantly mitigate EBT skimming attacks. Upgrading the technology used in EBT cards and reinforcing security measures can substantially reduce the success rate of skimming attacks targeting EBT cardholders.