The oldest form of fraud (thinking that no one is watching you) is being defeated by modern technology (data analytics) employed by the Department of Agriculture as it oversees the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program.

In 2018,  the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department used data analytics to examine delivery route retailers to help confirm which ones were more likely to be skirting SNAP regulations. The G men focused on the authorization and reauthorization processes for the delivery route sellers most at risk of fraud.

In a statement, FNS points out that not all delivery route vendors, which are an important part of the delivery plan for SNAP benefits, violate the program regulations. FNS notes that  legitimate delivery route retailers serve many SNAP clients well. Delivery route venders provide a valuable service especially in rural areas.

In its statement, USDA states that it takes program integrity seriously. Brandon Lipps, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, says that when the government’s data analysis showed that some bad actors may have invaded the delivery route network, FNS immediately began acting to ferret them out of the program and secure the reauthorization process.

Acting Deputy Under Secretary Lipps says that FNS will continue its data analysis strategy to ensure that tax dollars supporting the SNAP program are wisely used and remain a central piece of USDA’s daily operations.

This page has commented frequently on FNS’s efforts to attack fraud that may have penetrated nutrition programs, like SNAP.

SNAP is the program formerly known at food stamps.

The agenda for EBT the Next Generation is almost baked. The conference will take place on November 3 - 5 in Orlando, Florida

Now in year 23 year, EBT-the Next Generation is the premier conference focused on the use of electronic payment technology to deliver government payments to consumers.

This year’s conference will include sessions on merging the use of EBT cards with online shopping technology, sessions devoted specifically to SNAP EBT and WIC EBT, processing and handling EBT data, retailer perspective on EBT, separate SNAP and WIC EBT roundtables, service support cost drivers, government payments beyond SNAP and WIC, state contracting for EBT processors, and program integrity issues.

NextGen routinely draws several hundred attendees, including state officials responsible for managing EBT on the state level, and the vendors and manufacturers who supply the electronic payment technology needed to drive EBT.

The conference is a service of the Electronic Funds Transfer Association.