Nevada gets $1.5 million grant to fight food stamp fraud

Associated Press

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | 4:11 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada is getting $1.5 million from the federal government to crack down on food stamp fraud.

The state's welfare division was one of three agencies nationwide to get the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Division chief Steve Fisher said Thursday that the grant will help develop new technologies to identify fraud and trafficking within the food stamp program, which is officially known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.

The system will use third-party data and integrate with sites such as Facebook and Craigslist.

State officials say the improved system will ensure that only Nevada's neediest residents are getting benefits, and will prevent the waste of taxpayer dollars.