Data insights: September 2026 EBT theft trends
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Return to Propel’s EBT Theft Hub
Key findings#key-findings
- Indiana had the highest theft rate in the country for a second consecutive month at 0.46%, down slightly from 0.49% in July.
- Virginia spiked to 0.29% and shows the clearest skimming signal in the country, concentrated around specific retail chains, with theft beginning to spread west from Richmond toward Lynchburg and Roanoke.
- Illinois's one-time cash payments, distributed August 1 to households that lost SNAP under new work requirements, were targeted almost immediately: the weekly unrecognized cash transaction rate rose from roughly 0.2% to 1.3% in the week funds landed.
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
Indiana had the highest theft rate in the country for a second consecutive month, though its rate decreased slightly and fewer of its victims can be traced to specific skimmers. Virginia spiked in August after a July decline had removed it from the top eight. Most of Illinois's theft was tied to a one-time cash payment distributed on August 1 and targeted immediately. The mid-Atlantic states that had the highest theft rates in spring all continued to decline; Maryland and Pennsylvania dropped out of the top eight, while Delaware and New Jersey declined but remained among the states with the highest theft rates.
| Rank | June 2026 | July 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DE (0.42%) | IN (0.49%) | IN (0.46%) |
| 2 | CT (0.36%) | DE (0.43%) | VA (0.29%) |
| 3 | MD (0.27%) | MD (0.26%) | AR (0.28%) |
| 4 | PA (0.26%) | NJ (0.25%) | CT (0.24%) |
| 5 | VA (0.23%) | CT (0.22%) | DE (0.22%) |
| 6 | NY (0.23%) | PA (0.20%) | NY (0.21%) |
| 7 | NJ (0.22%) | NY (0.19%) | NJ (0.21%) |
| 8 | IN (0.21%) | AR (0.19%) | IL (0.21%) |
Fraction of transactions marked as unrecognized, by county (August 1–September 8, 2026)
Theft rates declined in both Maryland (0.26% to 0.19%) and New Jersey (0.25% to 0.21%). Both states began mailing chip cards in July: Maryland statewide and New Jersey in three pilot counties. The declines are not larger in the counties that received cards first, so they cannot yet be attributed to chip cards. Pennsylvania and Delaware also saw significant decreases in theft from July to August.
Indiana’s theft rate remains the highest#indianas-theft-rate-remains-the-highest
Though Indiana's rate declined slightly from 0.49% in July to 0.46% in August, it remains the highest in the country where theft is elevated across much of the state. Marion County (Indianapolis) is still the center, with 3.7% of 9,662 users affected. Lake County (Gary) and Allen County (Fort Wayne) fell sharply, from 4.6% to 2.4% and 2.7% respectively, while the Louisville suburbs in Floyd and Clark counties held between 3% and 4%.
Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Indiana (August 1–September 8, 2026)
Virginia skimming begins to spread west#virginia-skimming-begins-to-spread-west
Virginia's rate rose from 0.17% in July to 0.29% in August, and the geography has begun to shift. The Richmond-area rates that spiked in the spring have come down: Petersburg from 5.1% to 2.7% of users, Hopewell from 6.8% to 3.9%, and Henrico from 4.6% to 3.1%. Hampton Roads held steady, with Norfolk at 3.7% and Newport News at 3.3%, while western parts of the state such as Lynchburg (4.3%) and Roanoke (3.3%) are starting to see more theft. Virginia showed the clearest skimming signal in the country, with theft concentrated around specific retail chains.
Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Virginia (August 1–September 8, 2026)
Arkansas theft concentrated in the Delta#arkansas-theft-concentrated-in-the-delta
Arkansas's rate rose from 0.19% in July to 0.28% in August. Arkansas saw theft spikes in the spring, but the geography is new. Spring theft centered on Little Rock, while August theft is concentrated in the eastern Delta counties along the Mississippi River, with Crittenden (4.6% of users), Phillips (4.1%), and Jefferson (3.1%) the most affected. Northwest Arkansas is near normal levels.
Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Arkansas (August 1–September 8, 2026)
Connecticut theft steady as Waterbury skimming grows#connecticut-theft-steady-as-waterbury-skimming-grows
Connecticut's theft rate was roughly flat month over month. Theft has moved away from Fairfield County, which now has the lowest rate of Connecticut's three large counties, at 1.2% of users versus 1.5% in both New Haven and Hartford. Suspected skimming activity in Waterbury continued to grow, and the city still accounts for several of the state's identified skimming locations.
Unrecognized transaction rate by county in Connecticut (August 1–September 8, 2026)
Illinois's new cash benefits are targeted#illinoiss-new-cash-benefits-are-targeted
Illinois entered the top eight after three consecutive monthly increases. Because of Illinois's size, that rate represents more affected users than Indiana, Virginia, and Arkansas combined.
Most of the August increase came from cash theft. On August 1, Illinois distributed one-time cash payments of $400 per person to households that lost SNAP under new work requirements. August had twice as many cash transactions as a standard month, and those funds were targeted immediately: the weekly unrecognized cash transaction rate rose from roughly 0.2% to 1.3% when funds were distributed. This pushed Illinois's unrecognized cash transaction rate far above other states' and above Illinois's own unrecognized SNAP transaction rate.
Fraction of unrecognized cash transactions in Illinois vs. other states
Fraction of unrecognized cash vs. SNAP transactions in Illinois
Though affected users were spread throughout the state, liquidation largely happened in Chicago, unlike the states above where most liquidation happens out of state. Most unrecognized cash transactions were ATM withdrawals or cash-back purchases.
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.