SEATTLE, Wash. — Independent journalist Nick Shirley corrected his previous reporting Thursday on alleged food stamp fraud in Seattle, saying he found no evidence that Lam’s Seafood engaged in or helped facilitate fraud.
In a video posted to X, Shirley said he found no evidence that Lam’s Seafood in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District engaged in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) fraud or colluded with the woman shown in his earlier video.
“I have an important correction to make,” Shirley said. “I published a video documenting EBT fraud in Seattle. As part of that video, I recorded a woman who attempted to use an EBT card at Lam’s Seafood to purchase food…. Lam’s did not engage or collude in any EBT fraud in that video.”
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) November 12, 2026
Shirley previously claimed that a woman attempted to purchase one can of Spam and an order of sushi for $120. He now says that account was incorrect: Lam’s clarified that the employee was attempting to charge for an entire case of Spam.
“I have not uncovered any evidence that Lam’s itself engaged in EBT fraud, or that Lam’s colluded with the woman in the video who was attempting to use the EBT card,” Shirley said. “It was never my intention to make incorrect claims that Lam’s engaged or has engaged in EBT fraud with the woman in the video or just in general.”
In addition to his clarifications, Shirley has removed all posts and videos of the EBT fraud investigation in Seattle that featured Lam’s Seafood.
Shirley probes alleged food stamp fraud in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District
In early October, Shirley visited Seattle to investigate allegations that homeless individuals and businesses are exchanging food stamp benefits for cash.
Shirley and a group of other journalists filmed undercover in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, examining allegations that homeless people were selling access to benefits on their EBT cards to businesses.
Shirley asked a man described in the video as homeless how much he would accept for an EBT card reportedly holding more than $300 in benefits. The man said he would sell it for $120.
“People will give people cash for the food stamps. People are willing to sell it for just $120,” Shirley said in a video that has since been deleted. “The food stamp card is essentially just like an ATM for a lot of these homeless people here inside of Seattle.”
Shirley seeks offers to exchange food stamp benefits for cash
Shirley also explored allegations that businesses were involved in exchanging EBT benefits for cash. A man on the sidewalk pointed them toward a few meeting places where they could simply stand in place and wait for others to approach them with buying offers.
While en route to one of these locations, Shirley and his group stumbled upon a transaction that was in progress and interrupted it by saying they had food stamp cards for sale. A middle-aged woman responded to Shirley’s inquiry and offered $60 for a card with $120 on it.
Shirley was then driven to Lam’s Seafood, where he initially claimed a can of Spam and a package of sushi were entered into a checkout terminal as a $120 purchase. He has since corrected that account, explaining that the charge was for a case of Spam, and said he found no evidence that the store engaged in or colluded in EBT fraud.
Shirley said he did not have a PIN to authorize the transaction. He left the store and accused the woman of food stamp fraud. His account does not establish that a fraudulent purchase was completed.
Confrontation escalates as group films in Seattle
The video also depicted a confrontation involving members of Shirley’s group while they were filming separately in Seattle. Shirley was informed of a fight between three people at an intersection that led to Jonathan Choe’s security guard having to intervene.
During the confrontation, the security guard’s firearm fell to the ground, and a nearby person picked it up, according to the video. Choe and those accompanying him then fled as several people chased them.
An individual separate from Shirley’s group joined as they fled, asking why they were running, and stated, “I’m on fenty, I can’t run.”
“This is arguably one of the most dangerous situations I’ve ever been in,” Choe said while driving away from the CID. “[Shirley’s] being targeted right now. Everyone’s saying, ‘Nick Shirley’s here, Nick Shirley’s here.’ We have to clear out of the area right now.”
Shirley has amassed more than seven million followers across social media platforms through his reporting on alleged fraud, including his widely viewed coverage of Somali-owned child care centers in Minnesota.
In light of the inaccuracies in his Seattle fraud investigation, Shirley said he is “more than willing to correct [himself].”
“We do our best honestly, but we don’t always get it right,” Shirley said. “And when we don’t, it’s very important that we make a correction.”
Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.
©2026 Cox Media Group
