LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thieves have stolen more than $5 million worth of food stamps from families in Kentucky and Indiana over the past year. 

Scammers are draining accounts linked to EBT cards.

"Don't steal people's food, don't take food off the table," Austin Metzler said. "Don't steal from the families."

Metzler had his leg amputated nine years ago. He now relies on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to help feed his family. 

Austin Metzler and son

Pictured: Austin Metzler, who relies on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to help feed himself and his four-year-old son.

"I got a 4-year-old," he said. "He's a picky eater. He loves his fresh vegetables. He wants his fresh fruit."

Metzler, who receives $140 on his SNAP card on the 15th of each month, got a very unpleasant surprise when he was shopping for groceries earlier this month. As he was using the card to pay for some of those fruits and veggies, the card was declined. 

He was told the balance on it was just .46 cents. 

"It's embarrassing," Metzler said. "I mean, who wants to go to a store and your card doesn't work?"

Austin Metzler's drained EBT card account

When Austin Metzler went to the grocery store in August 2024, his EBT card was drained.

He said he and other families depend on SNAP benefits. "Those are lunches for school, snacks for at home," Metzler said.

The same scene has been playing out in grocery stores through Kentucky and Indiana, with hackers stealing millions of dollars of benefits from families in the two states. Over the past year, Kentucky has spent $2,280,311 to replace stolen SNAP benefits, while Indiana has replaced $3,000,000. 

"That's $5,000,000 that people missed on their dinner tables," Metzler said.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Family Resources said the thieves have been using skimmers to capture personal information, then cloning SNAP cards and using them before the true card holder discovers the theft. 

Through June 30, 2024, Kentucky officials approved 4,381 stolen food assistance complaints. The USDA's stolen benefits dashboard shows more than 3,300 reported thefts in Indiana.

Metzler believes security measures need to be tightened. 

"I wish they just kind of stepped the system up, because it's just a four digit PIN code," he said. "We were doing that back in 80s."

A new federal law now requires every state to replace benefits stolen between October 2022 and September 2024. However, it can take time for the replacement funds to hit SNAP accounts. 

Metzler said the New Albany community came together to get his son the food he likes, but he worries that other families won't be as fortunate. 

"I can battle through with one 4-year-old and and make it," he said. "There's needy families. I mean, people are trying to eat."

If you or someone you know has had SNAP benefits stolen, click here to learn how to have them replaced. Victims can also report the theft to the Department for Community Based Services at 1-855-306-8959.

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