EBT Card Glitch leads to theft, small riots and fraud

[Sonya610]

The cards stopped working in some areas. I love how the article says people took unpaid for groceries instead of saying people stole from the store. The cards had only stopped working for a few hours and the theft and disruption started. What if it had lasted for a few days? What would have happened then?

People in 17 states found themselves unable to buy groceries with their food stamp debit-style cards Saturday after a routine check by vendor Xerox Corp. resulted in a system failure.

The mini riot, happened at the Walmart in Philadelphia, Miss. Shortly thereafter, managers decided to temporarily close the store.

http://www.clarionledger.com/articl...riot-when-unable-use-EBT-cards?nclick_check=1

In other areas the cards had NO LIMIT and the shelves of Walmart were picked clean as people took advantage of the fact they could get hundreds or thousands of dollars of food due to a glitch...

Customers said shelves were picked clean in a mob scene that left employees rattled. Walmart spokeswoman Kayla Whaling told the station the company made a conscious decision to keep ringing up goods rather than to cut people off.

One woman had $700 worth of merchandise in her cart and an EBT card with a balance of just 49 cents.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/14/computer-glitches-causes-public-assistance-frenzy/

 

[Kensie]

That woman that got $700 worth of items was stealing IMO.

 

[oh_gal]

http://gma.yahoo.com/walmart-shelve...ing-spree-171042474--abc-news-topstories.html

Sorry if this is the same story.

Totally disgusting behavior, IMO. I'm sure they sold the booty and lined their pockets with $$ for drugs and booze.

 

[Herding Cats]

Just a taste of things to come, should the system really actually ever tank...and like Sonya said, this was in a matter of HOURS, not days or weeks...and no natural disaster, either. And no delay in getting goods to shelves (natural disaster and problems with supply-lines are two things I tend to worry about...)

Scary folks living among us, that's for sure. I'm wondering how everyone found out about it, and in enough numbers to make store employees rattled.

Best-
Herding Cats

 

[21merc7]

I read this earlier, and just don't know what to say. I was shocked.

 

[Elley Mae]

Just a taste of things to come, should the system really actually ever tank...and like Sonya said, this was in a matter of HOURS, not days or weeks...and no natural disaster, either. And no delay in getting goods to shelves (natural disaster and problems with supply-lines are two things I tend to worry about...)

Scary folks living among us, that's for sure. I'm wondering how everyone found out about it, and in enough numbers to make store employees rattled.

Best-
Herding Cats

I tell you any more with the gadgets (twitter-FB-IM-and just texting)the message gets out, and quickly.

 

[Sonya610]

I'm wondering how everyone found out about it, and in enough numbers to make store employees rattled.

I am sure the word spread FAST and cell phones were ringing like mad as the first ones to discover the glitch called every relative and friend they knew with an EBT card.

Funny thing is just last week a friend was saying if the gov shutdown actually lead to the EBT cards being cut off we had best be prepared for riots....she was telling me to make sure I had plenty of dog food and such in the house.

 

[boston_baby]

I'm wondering how everyone found out about it, and in enough numbers to make store employees rattled.

Best-
Herding Cats

Because they all called one another on their free smartphones, of course.

 

[Thundar]

http://gma.yahoo.com/walmart-shelve...ing-spree-171042474--abc-news-topstories.html

Sorry if this is the same story.

Totally disgusting behavior, IMO. I'm sure they sold the booty and lined their pockets with $$ for drugs and booze.

Ok how confusing this story is:

"The loss of power triggered a preventative shutdown of the EBT system to protect its overall integrity," according to a statement from Xerox spokesman Kevin Lightfoot. "While the system was restored within 22 minutes, the network experienced connectivity issues until our technical staff were able to re-establish full access just before 10 p.m. EST."
Lynd said the Springhill Walmart store manager called police on Saturday morning to ask for advice over crowd control. When he arrived, Lynd told the Walmart staff that they had the right to refuse service if they chose to, but Walmart's corporate office advised the store to allow customers to purchase what they wanted with the cards."

So it was Walmart's corporate office who decided to let the people go ahead and purchase cartloads of product when any thinking person would know there are limits on those cards and someone will have to pay what was charged. This whole thing makes no sense. Who is liable? The people trying to pull off a quick one and get more than they qualify for or the Walmart store who let it happen? I bet it is the taxpayer who will end up paying again.

 

[Softail]

And people say there is no fraud in the "system". :doh: The ones who "need" it really "need" it.

These people acted like animals. :twocents:

 

[SwampMama]

This happened in Louisiana in a few places. These people are animals and criminals. They are not needy, they are greedy.

I am thoroughly disgusted by these parasites. I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It was THEFT. EBT users KNOW the amount of their monthly benefit. It is always the same amount.

The cards have the data on what the thieves STOLE and walmart should have video on the crimes so that they can't claim it wasn't them.

 

[krimekat]

That woman that got $700 worth of items was stealing IMO.

Kensie, apparently that woman did not get what she expected

From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn't press charges if she left the food.

Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.

"Just about everything is gone, I've never seen it in that condition," said Mansfield Walmart customer Anthony Fuller.

Walmart shelves in Springhill, Mansfield, cleared in EBT glitch

Definitely stealing !!!

 

[21merc7]

Ok how confusing this story is:

"The loss of power triggered a preventative shutdown of the EBT system to protect its overall integrity," according to a statement from Xerox spokesman Kevin Lightfoot. "While the system was restored within 22 minutes, the network experienced connectivity issues until our technical staff were able to re-establish full access just before 10 p.m. EST."
Lynd said the Springhill Walmart store manager called police on Saturday morning to ask for advice over crowd control. When he arrived, Lynd told the Walmart staff that they had the right to refuse service if they chose to, but Walmart's corporate office advised the store to allow customers to purchase what they wanted with the cards."

So it was Walmart's corporate office who decided to let the people go ahead and purchase cartloads of product when any thinking person would know there are limits on those cards and someone will have to pay what was charged. This whole thing makes no sense. Who is liable? The people trying to pull off a quick one and get more than they qualify for or the Walmart store who let it happen? I bet it is the taxpayer who will end up paying again.

Actually, both WalMart and the people who did this are responsible. The people that receive EBT benefits know what their monthly limit is.

Not all get the benefits on the same date anymore either. EBT is dispersed 3 or 4 times per month now, not just on the 1st of the month. That was the idea to be sure grocers had enough fresh foods, and staples on the shelves. I don't know if the dispersement is by name or by when they signed up.

Wonder if any scanned their card that had already been given the benefit or were not yet to receive their benefit?

Either way, WalMart still holds some responsibility for the decision, and whomever made that decision may not have a job long, at least only until whatever is decided is finished.

The people's actions is worse. The WalMart decision maker put faith into them to do the right thing. They did not, and should be prosecuted.

I'm still gobsmacked and now angry since it will cost the rest of us more.

End rant.

 

[oh_gal]

Ok how confusing this story is:

"The loss of power triggered a preventative shutdown of the EBT system to protect its overall integrity," according to a statement from Xerox spokesman Kevin Lightfoot. "While the system was restored within 22 minutes, the network experienced connectivity issues until our technical staff were able to re-establish full access just before 10 p.m. EST."
Lynd said the Springhill Walmart store manager called police on Saturday morning to ask for advice over crowd control. When he arrived, Lynd told the Walmart staff that they had the right to refuse service if they chose to, but Walmart's corporate office advised the store to allow customers to purchase what they wanted with the cards."

So it was Walmart's corporate office who decided to let the people go ahead and purchase cartloads of product when any thinking person would know there are limits on those cards and someone will have to pay what was charged. This whole thing makes no sense. Who is liable? The people trying to pull off a quick one and get more than they qualify for or the Walmart store who let it happen? I bet it is the taxpayer who will end up paying again.

WalMart cashiers (WM employees in general - not the corporate bigwigs) are not paid enough to care or pay attention to small facts like realizing, "Hey, weren't you just in here spending $700 with your EBT card? And now you're back?", much less saying anything to stop them.

 

[SweetT]

I think it's called fraud and I would have to imagine that the ebt holders will be getting their benefits cut and no longer able to participate in the system.. They can't claim ignorance on hundreds of dollars

 

[shygrl]

I think the decision makers were probably trying to be compassionate and kind. They wanted to let people get food for themselves and their children. imo This is why there is less compassion overall. People are sick of being taken advantage of! There was no need for people to act like that and take advantage of the situation. Everyone who went over should be cut off from aid.

 

[Softail]

I think the decision makers were probably trying to be compassionate and kind. They wanted to let people get food for themselves and their children. imo This is why there is less compassion overall. People are sick of being taken advantage of! There was no need for people to act like that and take advantage of the situation. Everyone who went over should be cut off from aid.

I totally agree. And look what happened... the animals showed their true colors. It is pathetic! :twocents:

 

[boston_baby]

I think the decision makers were probably trying to be compassionate and kind. They wanted to let people get food for themselves and their children. imo This is why there is less compassion overall. People are sick of being taken advantage of! There was no need for people to act like that and take advantage of the situation. Everyone who went over should be cut off from aid.

I'm going to be honest. I don't think the store management was trying to be kind or compassionate. I think they were worried (as evidenced from reports that they consulted police about "crowd control") that these low-lifes would start rioting when they didn't "get theirs."

 

[Softail]

I'm going to be honest. I don't think the store management was trying to be kind or compassionate. I think they were worried (as evidenced from reports that they consulted police about "crowd control") that these low-lifes would start rioting when they didn't "get theirs."

I do. They thought they were still going to help people with the shut down. Unfortunately, the animals came out. It is sad, and pathetic. :twocents:

 

[txsvicki]

I wonder if the EBT purchases are recorded somehow. These people will surely be caught and have their foodstamps lowered in coming months until it's paid back.