Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2014 | Page 15

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

The Methods to Prevent and Detect Fraud in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Valerie Roebuck
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)1 experienced
a spike in enrollment during the last few years due to the economic
crisis (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”). According to
Congressional Budget Office statistics, SNAP recipients increased
by 70 percent between 2007 and 2011 with the program now rated
“the second largest assistance program for low income families” (Issa).
In 2012, SNAP issued over $74 billion in benefits (“Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program”).

rate has decreased from four cents per dollar of benefits redeemed
to one cent per dollar (Lavallee). Even though the fraud rate has
declined, SNAP fraud remains a major problem and costs the Federal Government millions of dollars every year. Between the years
of 2006 and 2008, SNAP lost $330 million in benefits to trafficking
(“The Extent of Trafficking” 2). The USDA should review the current
methods used to combat SNAP fraud and work to identify technologies and policies which should be revised, upgraded, or m