WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Victims of stolen SNAP benefits should be on the lookout on Friday for a relief payment coming from the state government after hundreds of thousands of dollars of aid were stolen.

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Special Investigations found evidence of more than $2.7 million in public assistance was fraudulently obtained in just the second quarter of fiscal year 2023, including more than $770,000 in SNAP benefits.

Starting on Friday, the state is going to pay that money back to the people who were supposed to get it. These one-time, retroactive replacement payments begin Friday, covering benefits stolen through various schemes like skimming, phishing, and other electronically-based methods.

The time period covers April 1st through September 30, 2022. The funding comes from a $2 million pool approved in Governor Maura Healey’s Supplemental Budget bill. A program from the federal government is covering stolen benefits from October 1st through September 30, but the state expanded that to cover more.

If you fell victim, you should receive a text message or email starting on Friday and get a notice on your DTA Connect profile later this month. Payments can cover up to the entire amount stolen.