TAMPA, Fla. — Families across Florida say their SNAP benefits are being stolen — and they want to know who, if anyone, is working to stop it.
The Tampa Bay 28 I-Team is now in contact with 13 families who have shown documentation that the fraud — is all seemingly tied to the same address in Glendale, California, with deliveries from DoorDash routed to the same location.
Saide Leon, a Fort Myers mother of a 4-year-old who is also currently pregnant, said she noticed an unauthorized transaction on her account and immediately knew something was wrong.
"I was honestly dumbfounded with the whole thing...who could get into my information?" Leon told the I-Team.
Like two other families I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern interviewed last month, Leon's SNAP benefits were stolen in the snap of a finger.
"I was panicking. I was very panicked," Leon said.
She said the financial pressure is real for her family.
"Both parents work, me and Dad work... and it's still a struggle, we still barely get by," Leon said.
Leon said she turned to law enforcement immediately after discovering the fraud. The Lee County Sheriff's Office then referred her case to the Glendale Police Department, outside of Los Angeles. But other Florida families who tried to report the same scam said their calls to their local law enforcement seemingly went nowhere, with no report taken, and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) directly recipients back to law enforcement.
The I-Team contacted DCF, Florida's Chief Financial Officer, the State Attorney General's Office, the FBI, the USDA, and DoorDash — which was delivering food to the California address. With each contact, it became more unclear who is actually investigating this crime, with agencies pointing to each other.
When Leon was asked what Glendale PD said after learning at least 11 other families had reported the same address in their city, she said investigators took it seriously.
"This is definitely bigger than what it seems," Leon said.
Glendale police have since been in contact with several of the women who contacted the I-Team and continue to encourage victims to contact local law enforcement to refer cases to them through a "courtesy report". But the growing list of families wonder if anyone in Florida is on the case.
"I know for a fact, you know, we're not the only people. And the state's not wanting to help us, so my question is, why is the state just so willing to lose money?" Shayna Houser Parra told the I-Team.
Records from the U.S. Government Accountability Office show the federal agency has limited information on the extent of SNAP theft. There is no requirement for state agencies to report data on stolen benefits. That reporting authority ended in 2024, along with the Stolen SNAP Benefits Program that reimbursed victims of fraud. So the money stolen from families, meant to help feed their children — is just gone.
Leon told the I-Team she's speaking out for people beyond her own family.
"I'm also helping the other individuals that were, you know, got those funds stripped away from them, that we can't get back," she said. "If you stay silent, you're not really going to get anywhere. But the more people unite and get things done and speak up, even if we have to yell, it's gonna get the point across and they're going to take it more seriously."
DCF would not make anyone available for an interview. The agency provided the information below.
DCF Statement
"The Department takes allegations of fraud seriously and is actively working to further strengthen safeguards for recipients, review available information, and coordinate with law enforcement partners as appropriate. Please continue to share relevant information, including the identities of potentially affected recipients with the Department to support the review.
The Department's Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) services are provided by its vendor, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), which administers the EBT system recipients use to access their benefits.
FIS has released an updated version of the EBT mobile application, ebtEDGE. Recipients are encouraged to download the latest version for Apple (ebtEdge NEW! [apps.apple.com]) or Android (ebtEdge NEW! [play.google.com]) to access the newest security features.
In addition to the PIN required to complete EBT transactions, recipients may establish a separate security code for interactions with the FIS Call Center and their ebtEDGE account. For security reasons, FIS is not authorized to create or modify these security codes. Instead, recipients who wish to add a security code may visit a Department Family Resource Center [familyresourcecenter.myflfamilies.com] or request a referral through the FIS Call Center. A designated Department staff member will then contact the recipient to assist with establishing the security code."
If you have recently experienced fraud on your SNAP account, our I-Team wants to hear from you.
Share Your Story with Kylie
Kylie McGivern works tirelessly to get results for the people of Tampa Bay. Her reporting has exposed flaws in Florida’s corrections system and unemployment process. Reach out to Kylie and our I-Team if you need help holding state leaders accountable.
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