Anyone in Alameda County with last name starting with T getting CalFresh benefits deposited today?
Just got a weird text saying my 'sunbucks' are being deposited today since my last name starts with T in Alameda County. Is this legit or some kind of scam? I usually get my CalFresh around the 8th of each month, not based on my last name. The text looked official-ish but 'sunbucks' seems like a strange typo for CalFresh or EBT. Has anyone else with last name T in Alameda gotten this message? Are benefits really scheduled by last name now?
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Felicity Bud
That's 100% a SCAM!!! CalFresh benefits are NEVER called 'sunbucks' - that's ridiculous. And they don't deposit based on last name. They're deposited on the same day each month based on your case number (last digit). Alameda County uses the same system as every other county. DO NOT click any links or reply to that text!!!
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Felix Grigori
•OMG thank you so much! I almost clicked the link they sent to 'confirm my identity' - glad I posted here first. Do I need to report this somewhere? I'm worried they have my phone number.
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Max Reyes
Like the other person said, it's definitely a scam. CalFresh benefits in California are deposited on a staggered schedule based on the last digit of your case number, not your last name. In Alameda County (and everywhere in CA), benefits are loaded between the 1st and 10th of each month. You can report phishing scams like this to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and you should also let your county worker know someone's targeting CalFresh recipients.
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Mikayla Davison
•this happened to my cousin 2 but it said drakebucks lol these scammers not even trying anymore smh
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Adrian Connor
If you need to confirm when your actual benefits are coming, I'd recommend checking your EBT account online or calling the number on the back of your card. Definitely don't respond to texts about 'sunbucks' or anything else that sounds off. The county office only refers to the program as CalFresh or sometimes SNAP, never anything else.
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Aisha Jackson
•I tried calling my county worker about a similar scam text last month and kept getting disconnected!! So frustrating when you actually need to talk to someone. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to a real person at the CalFresh office and they confirmed it was a scam. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 showing how it works. Worth it just to avoid the endless hold times.
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Felix Grigori
•Thanks for the suggestions! I'm going to check my actual EBT balance just to make sure everything's normal with my account.
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Ryder Everingham
The timing of these scams isn't random - they tend to target people right before their normal deposit date to create urgency. Since you mentioned you usually get benefits around the 8th, they're trying to make you panic about a supposed 'early deposit' you might miss. Always check your balance through the official EBT app or by calling the number on your card.
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Lilly Curtis
omg i got a weird text 2 but mine said rainbowbucks lol. i deleted it. they alwasy try this stuff around the beginnign of the month when ppl are expecting there benefits. just ignore it and check ur real balance on the EBT website
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Felix Grigori
•Rainbowbucks?? Wow these scammers are getting creative. I checked my real EBT card and my benefits are still scheduled for the 8th like normal. Thanks everyone for confirming this was a scam!
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Felicity Bud
I'm still so MAD about these scammers targeting CalFresh recipients!! Like we don't deal with enough headaches with the system already?! Should be ILLEGAL to impersonate government benefit programs!!! 😡
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Mikayla Davison
•fr tho its always the people who need help the most getting targeted smh
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Max Reyes
Since we're on this topic, it's a good reminder that the actual CalFresh/EBT deposit schedule for Alameda County (and all of California) for 2025 is: Case number ending in 1: 1st of the month Case number ending in 2: 2nd of the month Case number ending in 3: 3rd of the month Case number ending in 4: 4th of the month Case number ending in 5: 5th of the month Case number ending in 6: 6th of the month Case number ending in 7: 7th of the month Case number ending in 8: 8th of the month Case number ending in 9: 9th of the month Case number ending in 0: 10th of the month This schedule never changes based on your name, and the county will never text you using slang terms for your benefits.
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Felix Grigori
•This is super helpful! Mine ends in 8 which is why I get it on the 8th. I'll save this info.
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