CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi man says nearly $800 in SNAP benefits were drained from his Lone Star Card after what he believes was a card-skimming incident that occurred following a checkout glitch at an H-E-B store.
“That’s what happened right here on Dec. 2nd… 7:30 in the morning,” Joe Mauricio said, recalling when he discovered his account had been emptied. “It’s disturbing, it tears you down.”
Mauricio said the issue began Nov. 25 after shopping at the H-E-B on Alameda Street and Glazebrook. He kept his receipt and said the register malfunctioned during checkout — totals were incorrect, and the change didn’t make sense. He reported the problem to a store manager.
“I said, ‘Sir, he does not know what he’s doing — there’s a glitch on his computer, can you check that?’” Mauricio said. “He didn’t want to… the day after, this all happened.”
According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, someone began attempting to withdraw money from Mauricio’s SNAP account on Nov. 26. Because his balance was already low, the attempts failed until Dec. 2, when his monthly benefits reloaded.
HHS confirmed two fraudulent transactions: nearly $700 spent in an online curbside order at an H-E-B in San Antonio, and another $50 at an online retailer in New York.
When KRIS 6 News arrived, Mauricio was on the phone with Corpus Christi Police asking about the status of his report. During the call, an officer explained that cases involving SNAP theft are typically assigned only when investigators have a clear lead, such as a suspect or usable evidence.
The KRIS 6 reporter then identified herself, and after a brief exchange, the officer placed Mauricio on hold. Moments later, the officer told him a supervisor would review the case and call him back.
“Thank you very much,” Mauricio said after ending the call. “With the help of KRIS 6, I finally got a positive response."
Mauricio said the ordeal is taking a toll on him and his family, including his wife and 4-year-old daughter, who waited in the car during the call.
“As a man trying to put up for his family, trying to sustain… and the roadblocks that are put up in front of you — it’s crushing,” he said.
Now, he says he’s using rent money to buy groceries and must find a way to replace the lost funds later this month.
In a statement to KRIS 6, Texas Health and Human Services said SNAP card skimming remains a persistent problem. Thieves often place devices over card readers to capture card numbers and PINs.
The agency also noted that federal law prohibits replacing benefits stolen after Dec. 21, 2024.
Corpus Christi police said SNAP theft cases are treated the same as other credit card abuse investigations. They said they have not seen a rise in incidents locally and assign cases only when investigative leads exist.
For Mauricio, the explanations offer little relief.
“It’s like I’m going around in a circle on a racetrack and nobody’s racing you,” he said.
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