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i heard ur supposed to wiggle the card reader thing before u put ur card in. if it feels loose it might be a skimmer. also check ur balance on the app before AND after u shop so u notice rite away if somethings wrong
good idea! i wiggle atms but never thought about the ebt machines at stores
Thank you everyone for all the helpful replies! I just changed my PIN and downloaded the EBT app. Going to be much more careful about where I use my card from now on. I'll stick to the Safeway near me and Food Co rather than the corner stores. Still worried but at least I know what to do if something happens. Seems like Sacramento isn't immune after all. 😟
Smart precautions! One more tip: when your benefits get deposited each month, consider making larger purchases right away rather than leaving your full balance on the card for longer periods. While this isn't completely foolproof, it can minimize losses if your card information is compromised later in the month.
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i had someting similar happen but it was only $400 not as bad as yours... my county worker told me theres a statewide EBT app now that lets you lock your card when your not using it which i didnt know about before. also always use the machines inside the store never the atm's outside their easier for scammers to mess with. sorry this happened to you its so awful!!!!
Several people have mentioned this app now - I'm so angry that none of the workers ever told me about it before! Could have saved me from this whole nightmare. I've already installed it and set up the card freeze option. Thank you!
Just to follow up - make sure when you go to your county office tomorrow that you specifically request both: 1. AB 1784 benefit theft reimbursement claim 2. Expedited CalFresh benefits application (CF 285) Bring as much documentation as you can: ID, any income verification, rent/utility bills, and information about the theft (dates, police report if you filed one, case number from your fraud call, etc.). Having everything organized will speed up the process significantly. For immediate food assistance, many school districts also offer emergency meal programs for families with children, separate from regular free/reduced lunch programs. Worth checking with your children's schools as well.
This is incredibly helpful. I'll organize everything tonight and be at the office when they open. And great idea about the school meals - I'll call my kids' school counselor too. I can't thank you enough for all this information!
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when i got my kids cards i thought it was a scam lol. didnt even activate them for like 2 weeks until my sister told me it was legit. feels weird getting beneffits when we didnt apply for nothing but hey free food is free food
same! i was super suspicious too!
One more thing - make sure you set unique PINs for each card when you activate them. These are technically your children's benefits (even though you manage them as the parent). I've seen cases where parents set the same PIN for all cards and then had issues with account security later on. And keep track of which card belongs to which child - they look nearly identical!
Thank you - I wouldn't have thought of that. Going to label the cards with their names and set different PINs.
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ALWAYS check your EBT balance weekly!!! These scammers are getting more sophisticated and targeting benefit recipients like crazy in 2025. My coworker just had her entire month's worth of CalFresh stolen and she didn't notice for two weeks. By then most of the money was gone and she had a harder time proving fraud. Protect yourselves!!
This is excellent advice. I recommend to all my clients to set a weekly reminder to check their EBT balance through the official BenefitsCal app or by calling the number on the back of their card. Never use third-party apps or links from text messages to check your balance - these are often scams designed to steal your information.
i heard theres a new law in california that makes it easier to get benefits back after fraud but not sure when it takes effect? anyone know if thats true or just a rumor??????
You're referring to Assembly Bill 1518 which was passed last year. It streamlined the EBT theft claim process and made it easier to get replacement benefits. It's already in effect! It requires counties to provide provisional credits within 10 days of a verified fraud claim while they investigate. It also created better fraud detection systems and improved card security features for new EBT cards.
DeShawn Washington
Just want to add that you should DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Write down the name of every worker you talk to, date and time, and what they told you. The homeless system is so broken. I had a worker tell me I wasn't eligible for the homeless shelter deduction because I sometimes stayed at a friend's house. COMPLETELY WRONG. Had to file a formal complaint to get it fixed. If you have any issues, you can request a State Hearing where they have to review your case again. Don't let them jerk you around just because you're homeless.
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Sofía Rodríguez
hey i forgot to say but with the H code ur case also gets reviewed less often. like they dont bug u as much for updates n stuff. at least thats how it was for me. makes it easier when ur trying to handle more important things like finding a safe place to sleep every night. also check out if ur county has hotel vouchers for CalFresh peeps with the H code
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Tyrone Hill
•Wait really? Hotel vouchers through CalFresh? I thought that was only through general assistance or something. Has anyone else heard about this?
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Toot-n-Mighty
•The hotel vouchers aren't actually through CalFresh - they're through county homeless services programs. But having the H code on your CalFresh case can help establish your homeless status for those programs. You should contact your county's homeless outreach team or call 211 to get connected to those resources.
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