Diana Lewis did what she normally does on the 18th day of the month.She woke up and checked the balance of her Electronic Benefit Transfer card to make sure her benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program had been loaded.Her account had 54 cents.Starting at 1:20 a.m., she said fraudsters from The Bronx, New York were making transactions at restaurants between $15 and $85. In total, they spent $768.12.I really did not think it was going to happen to me, but it did, Lewis said, adding that she has never been to The Bronx.Her experience is not unique.Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services, which administers the federal food assistance program, said it has already replaced $1 million in stolen benefits this year.Director Michael Patton said there has always been a problem with SNAP benefits being targeted, but card skimming is relatively new. He said the problem is getting worse because thieves understanding of skimming technology is getting better.Its really unfortunate because people depend on these benefits, he said. How to protect yourselfThe department has emphasized a Guard Your Card campaign because skimming fraud increases around the holidays.Our goal is just to make sure people are aware that that happens, and we want to make sure that they avoid it when they can, if they can, Patton said.The three-decade veteran of the department said his number one tip is downloading the ConnectEBT app on your mobile device.When installed, the county said it allows benefit-holders to: Block in-person transactions at out-of-state retailers Enable a feature that requires users to unlock EBT before making any purchases Create a PIN for your card Change your PIN, which is recommended after every transaction and before each scheduled depositAdditionally, closely monitor card readers for skimming devices. If you notice anything that may look off, do not use it and notify store staff.How does skimming work? A fraudulent device is often placed over a point-of-sale card reader, the department said.When a recipient swipes their card over a compromised device, they are unsuspectingly sharing their card information with criminals, a handout from the department reads.Patton also notes that, unlike modern credit cards, EBT cards do not have chips.They have a little less protection than the chip cards, he said. I think there are some things that I think we would have to consider to bolster the program to avoid scammers and skimming from happening.Replacement benefits for theft victims could come to an endThe federal government has not allocated additional funding beyond Dec. 20, 2024, for stolen SNAP benefits.President Biden signed an appropriations bill in December 2022 that included provisions for replacing stolen benefits. It rolled out in Ohio in May 2023. In September 2024, it was extended.Itll be devastating if we cant get a fix at the federal level to address either the technology, Patton said. This is not going to, in my opinion, go away.Replacing stolen benefits takes time.Lewis said she isnt sure how her card information got leaked, but said she applied to have her stolen benefits replaced. The process can take 30 days, leaving her family without them for the Thanksgiving holiday.It doesn't make sense to me why I should have to sit here and wait, she said. I didn't take a little trip to New York and spend all my money and come home. You know that [doesnt] make sense.Speaking broadly, Patton with JFS said his team works through applications as quickly as they can. In October, he said they replaced $100,000 in benefits.They're eligible for the benefit, and they should be able to access the benefit, and it is difficult for staff who are hearing the stories, said Patton.