Update: I went to the police station today and filed a report. The officer actually said they've had several similar reports recently and they think there's an organized group targeting EBT cards in our county! He said to definitely appeal with the county and gave me a copy of the police report to bring with me. I also called EBT customer service and enabled the card lockdown feature that someone suggested here. The representative also helped me check for any authorized users (there weren't any) and set up text alerts for all transactions. I have an appointment with a supervisor at the county office tomorrow. Feeling a little more hopeful but still stressed about feeding my kids this month. Thanks everyone for the support and advice!

One other suggestion - when you get your next replacement card, immediately set up the BenefitsCal mobile app if you haven't already. The newest version has a feature where you can temporarily "freeze" your card between uses. It's not perfect protection, but it's another layer of security. You just unfreeze it right before shopping and freeze it again right after. Also, only use the card inside major grocery stores at the register, not at outdoor terminals or ATMs. And if you do social media, make sure you're not accidentally posting photos that show your card or shopping receipts (which sometimes have partial card numbers).

Quick tip from someone who just went through this: Take a screenshot of your current balance before activating the new card! That way if there's any discrepancy you have proof of what was supposed to transfer. I did this and everything went smoothly, but better safe than sorry with something as important as food benefits.

the whole system is so frustrating why cant they just leave things alone my benefits got delayed last time they did a "system upgrade" and i couldnt feed my kids for 3 days

Just to give some additional clarity: Sometimes when people refer to "extra" benefits, they might be referring to retroactive benefits if there was a delay in processing your application or a change. For example, if you reported a change that would increase your benefits but it took the county a month to process it, you might receive the increase for the current month plus a supplement for the previous month all at once. Has anything like that happened with your case recently?

i just want to say my benefits amount changes slightly sometimes and i never know why lol. i got $432 last month and $447 this month with no explanation. i don't question it anymore, just grateful for whatever helps feed my family. the calfreh system is so confusing sometimes!!

One more tip about preventing future skimming: Always check card readers before inserting your EBT card. Look for loose parts, unusual colors/materials, or anything sticking out. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN, as thieves often use tiny cameras to capture PINs. Also, the new ebtEDGE app now lets you set up purchase alerts so you're notified immediately of any transactions. That way, you can freeze your card and report suspicious activity before your entire balance is drained.

just updating - my friend had this happen last month and she got her benefits back in like 6 days! way faster than when it happened to me last year. i think theyre getting better at handling these cases since its happening so much. just stay on them and keep calling!!

hope u got ur money back by now but if not go to a food bank!!! theres one at the community center on madison street that gives out good stuff on tuesdays and fridays. got us through when our benefits got messed up last year

I wanted to follow up - did you get any resolution when you went back to the office? For others reading this thread in the future, California implemented new EBT theft protections in 2025 that should make these situations less common. They're now using chip cards and have better fraud monitoring systems. If anyone experiences theft: 1. Report it immediately to the EBT customer service line AND local police 2. Submit the EBT-2259 form to your county office within 5 days of discovering the theft 3. Request an emergency allotment if you have no other food resources 4. Check benefit status through the BenefitsCal portal or mobile app 5. Consider transferring benefits to a bank account as soon as they're received (as another commenter suggested) The state is required to process valid claims within 10 calendar days, though some counties may take longer.