Anyone received the new California EBT replacement cards? FB video claims they're coming but I'm skeptical
I just saw this weird Facebook video claiming California is sending out new EBT replacement cards? (link: https://www.facebook.com/100004245755526/videos/1612459896170484/) I've been on CalFresh for almost 2 years and haven't heard ANYTHING about this from my county worker. No notices in the mail, nothing on my SAR7, zero info on BenefitsCal website. The video seems sketchy but my cousin in Sacramento swears her friend got some kind of notice about card replacements happening in 2025. Has anyone in California actually received info about this from their county office? Or is this just another scam trying to get people's EBT info?
19 comments
Join the conversation
Logan Stewart
This is a KNOWN SCAM targeting CalFresh recipients! The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has NOT announced any statewide EBT card replacement initiative for 2025. These fake announcements typically try to get you to "verify" your card info or click suspicious links. If California was truly replacing all EBT cards, you would: 1. Receive an official letter from your county office 2. See announcements on the official BenefitsCal website 3. Get information in your quarterly mailings Always verify EBT-related information directly through your county office or the official EBT customer service line (877-328-9677). Never click links from social media claiming to be about your benefits.
0 coins
Diego Castillo
•Omg thank you!! I was suspicious but my cousin is INSISTING it's real because her friend "got something in the mail" (though she hasn't actually seen it). I'll tell her it's a scam. Scary how convincing these things look sometimes.
0 coins
Mikayla Brown
My nieghbor said she got something about new cards but idk she also thought her calfresh was being cancelled last month and it wasnt so maybe shes confused again lol
0 coins
Sean Matthews
•Ppl are always spreading misinfo about benefits! My mom thought they were canceling EBT completely in 2025 because of some TikTok video 🙄
0 coins
Ali Anderson
I actually called my county office last week about something unrelated and asked about this. The worker told me there are NO plans for a mass card replacement in California. She said they've been getting lots of calls about this because of social media posts. She did mention that some counties occasionally replace cards that are approaching their expiration dates, but that's done on a case-by-case basis, not a statewide initiative. And they would NEVER ask for your current card number or PIN through email, text, or social media. The worker sounded pretty frustrated that these rumors keep circulating. Definitely ignore that Facebook video!
0 coins
Zadie Patel
•This is accurate - I work with the CalFresh outreach program. The only time EBT cards get mass replaced is if there's been a security breach (hasn't happened in CA recently) or if they're upgrading card technology (last done in 2018-2019). Any legitimate card replacement would come with official notices through mail with the state and county logos, clear instructions, and would NEVER ask for your current card information through unofficial channels.
0 coins
A Man D Mortal
I've had CalFresh for 5+ years and my card has only been replaced when I reported it lost or damaged. Cards do have expiration dates (usually like 4-5 years from when you get them), so maybe that's what people are getting confused about? When your current card is about to expire, they automatically mail you a new one.
0 coins
Ali Anderson
•That's exactly what the county worker told me too! Normal replacements happen when: - Your card is expiring (date printed on front) - You report it lost/stolen - Your card is damaged But there's no mass replacement happening statewide.
0 coins
Declan Ramirez
UGH I literally wasted 3 HOURS trying to get through to someone at my county office about this last week!! Kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold forever. I was worried my benefits would get delayed if I didn't respond to some card replacement notice I might have missed. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback from a real person at the EBT customer service. They confirmed it's 100% a SCAM and there's no mass card replacement happening. If you need to verify anything about your CalFresh or reach a human at the county without waiting forever, check out their video demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 So much easier than getting hung up on 5 times in a row!
0 coins
Diego Castillo
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr! I've also had terrible luck getting through to my county office. Last time I needed to talk to someone about my income change it took me 3 days of calling. Will definitely check this out.
0 coins
Mikayla Brown
my sister said they sent her a new card but when i asked her to show me the letter she couldnt find it lol so probably not real
0 coins
Diego Castillo
•Yeah that sounds suspicious... my cousin is saying the same thing about her friend but has zero actual proof. People just spread rumors sometimes I guess.
0 coins
Zadie Patel
Some important facts about EBT card replacements in California: 1. Cards are only replaced when damaged, lost/stolen, or expired 2. Replacement is handled case-by-case, not mass statewide 3. You'll NEVER be asked to provide your card number or PIN via email, phone, or text 4. Official communications come through mail with state/county letterhead 5. BenefitsCal.com will post any legitimate system-wide changes These scams target vulnerable benefit recipients and often try to steal your information. Report any suspicious requests to the California EBT Customer Service (877-328-9677) and the CDSS Fraud Hotline (800-344-8477).
0 coins
Diego Castillo
•This is really helpful, thanks! I'll save this info for future reference. Do you know if there's a way to check when my current EBT card expires? Mine doesn't have a visible expiration date printed on it.
0 coins
Zadie Patel
•Look for a 4-digit number printed on the front of your card (MM/YY format) - that's your expiration date. If you can't find it, you can call the number on the back of your card and the automated system can tell you. Most cards are valid for about 4 years from when they're issued.
0 coins
Sean Matthews
this is definatly some kind of scam!!! my cousin got hacked after clicking on something like this and they stole all her benefits!!! don't click ANY links about EBT stuff from facebook or anywhere!!!!
0 coins
Diego Castillo
•That's horrible! Did she report it to the fraud department? I've heard they sometimes replace benefits if they were stolen.
0 coins
Sean Matthews
•ya she had to file a police report and everything and still hasnt gotten the money back its been like 3 months! they said theyre "investigating" but she had $897 stolen all at once!!
0 coins
Natalie Khan
As someone new to CalFresh, this is really scary to hear about! I almost clicked on a similar Facebook link last week but something felt off about it. Thank you everyone for confirming this is a scam - I'm going to screenshot this thread to show my family members who are also on benefits. Just to add: if anyone is unsure about ANY communication claiming to be from CalFresh/EBT, the safest thing is to log into your actual BenefitsCal account or call the official number on the back of your card. Better to be cautious than lose your benefits to scammers!
0 coins