Video taking off 145x its usual first day

Prosecutors say EBT skimmers stole millions on benefit payment days

FOX 5 New York's courthouse report details an alleged scheme targeting food assistance accounts, with more than $7 million at stake.

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FOX 5 New York Story of October 30, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 295,793 views a day, 145 times a normal first day on this channel (2,034).

EBT fraud ring involving millions of dollars busted

FOX 5 New York's Linda Schmidt reports that prosecutors say stolen card information let a fraud ring drain food assistance accounts on the very days recipients received their benefits.

Reporting from outside a Lower Manhattan courthouse, Schmidt describes an alleged scheme using card skimmers to capture SNAP recipients' identities and account numbers. SNAP provides food-purchasing assistance to people with low or no income. Prosecutors say more than $7 million in benefits was stolen, with proceeds used for luxury vehicles and transfers abroad.

The report covers indictments and court appearances, not convictions. Schmidt says the alleged operation ran from 2023 to 2025, and that a judge set different bail amounts for the defendants appearing in court.

The short report drew roughly 117,000 views within six hours, far beyond the station's usual first-day audience for Shorts. Its comment section was also much busier than a typical first day.

The report includes a brief response from defense attorney Michael Farkas, who says he learned about the case that morning and was not yet in a position to discuss it before assessing it.

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