In a small Texas town, a convenience store owner got arrested for running a “split scheme” with several customers. The system worked like this: A customer swipes $100 with their SNAP card; the owner logs it as groceries; he gives the customer $60 in cash and keeps $40. Customers felt they “benefited,” the owner felt he “benefited more.” Until one customer got cheated— the owner gave him only $20 and secretly charged $150. He reported it, and the scheme unraveled. When the owner was arrested, the community broke into two camps: those saying low-income families need flexibility, and those saying these schemes are destroying public trust. #SNAPFraud #StoreScam #EBTTrade #PolicyAbuse #CommunityDebate