Data insights: August 2026 EBT theft trends

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Key findings#key-findings

• Indiana's theft rate more than doubled to become the nation's highest in July. Dozens of stores were identified as likely skimming locations, accounting for nearly half of defrauded cardholders in the state.
• Delaware held near the top of the rankings for a third straight month, with theft concentrated in Kent and New Castle counties.
• Connecticut's June spike fell by nearly half in July, with the skimming cluster shifting from Stamford to Waterbury.

Propel’s theft detection capabilities#propels-theft-detection-capabilities

Propel serves over 5 million EBT cardholders nationwide who use our app to manage their benefits every month. We analyze transaction and customer-reported data to identify emerging theft patterns through a two-step detection process. First, we identify retailers with unusually high rates of transactions flagged as “unrecognized” by Propel users. These are retailers where stolen benefits appear to be drained or liquidated. Second, we identify skimmer locations by analyzing victims’ shopping patterns in the 8-12 weeks prior to their card being liquidated.

Our insights are intended to provide a snapshot of emerging trends in EBT theft. We generate these analyses early in the month, when theft activity typically peaks following SNAP benefit deposits. Our data reflects real theft activity, but may show a slight upward bias since cardholders are more likely to check the app after experiencing theft. Given the rapidly evolving nature of EBT theft, our insights represent a current snapshot rather than a comprehensive assessment.

Recent theft patterns and spikes#recent-theft-patterns-and-spikes

Most mid-Atlantic states that led the spring rankings declined in July. Indiana more than doubled its June theft rate to become the nation's highest, driven by broad in-state skimming whose proceeds are liquidated out of state. Delaware remains elevated with the same north-and-central geography as last month, and Connecticut's early-summer spike continues to fade.

Fraction of transactions marked as unrecognized, by county (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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Victims across states continue to share liquidation locations: retailers in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York City that liquidate mid-Atlantic victims are the same storefronts liquidating Indiana victims. It’s likely card information is harvested locally and sold to liquidation operations purporting to be concentrated in a few metro areas.

Indiana theft more than doubles with attributable skimmers#indiana-theft-more-than-doubles-with-attributable-skimmers

Indiana's unrecognized transaction rate went from 0.21% in June to 0.50% in July, the country's highest. This appears to continue into August; the first week of August is higher than any weekly rate in July.

Theft is elevated across nearly the whole state. There’s a sharp step down at the Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan borders, but an elevated theft rate exists across the Kentucky border.

Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Indiana (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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When Indiana spiked in April, no skimmers could be identified. This month is different: dozens of stores were identified as likely skimming locations based on elevated future liquidation rates, and 48% of the 1,446 Indiana cardholders defrauded in July and early August shopped at one of them prior to liquidation. These locations are concentrated in the Indianapolis area.

Most identified skimming locations are independent groceries, delis, and gas stations, though several stores from national retail chains appear as well. Liquidation happens entirely out of state.

Delaware holds near the top#delaware-holds-near-the-top

Delaware's theft rate was flat from June, its third straight month at or near the top of the rankings. The geography is unchanged: Kent and New Castle counties are heavily affected (3.6% of users in each marked a transaction unrecognized, down from about 4.5% in June) while Sussex County in the south remains near normal levels.

Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Delaware (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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No high-volume skimmers could be identified. Liquidation remains out of state but has shifted: the highest-rate liquidators of Delaware users this month all purport to be in New York, rather than the Philadelphia and New Jersey corner stores of prior months.

New Jersey skimming shifts to South Jersey#new-jersey-skimming-shifts-to-south-jersey

New Jersey's theft rate ticked up from June, though it remains well below its May level. The geography has moved: after months of northern-and-central concentration, Monmouth County in the south now has the state's highest victim rate (5.2% of users), with Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, and Camden counties close behind. Liquidation is dominated by retail locations in Philadelphia.

Unrecognized transaction rate by county in New Jersey (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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Connecticut's spike recedes and moves from Stamford to Waterbury#connecticuts-spike-recedes-and-moves-from-stamford-to-waterbury

Connecticut's theft rate fell by nearly half from its June spike. Theft continues to spike in the first days of each month when benefits arrive, but July's spike was less than half of June's. The first days of August show another bump, comparable to July's.

New Haven County now has the state's highest victim rate (2.7% of users, versus 2.3% in Fairfield), and the Stamford corridor skimming cluster flagged in June has largely disappeared. Waterbury has taken its place with a third of the state's identified skimming locations.

Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Connecticut (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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Maryland's limited retailer data hampers skimmer identification#marylands-limited-retailer-data-hampers-skimmer-identification

Maryland's theft rate was roughly flat from June, and the concentration remains around Baltimore – 3.7% of Baltimore City users marked a transaction unrecognized – with continued elevation on the Eastern Shore. The pattern points to skimming, but transaction data in Maryland contains only generic transaction types with no retailer identity, so store-level skimmer analysis is not possible.

Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Maryland (July 1–August 8, 2026)

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Ongoing support#ongoing-support

Propel is committed to supporting state and federal agencies in protecting SNAP recipients from EBT theft. For questions about our methodology or further analysis, please contact gov@propel.app.