Anyone with EBT theft notice also have government phone? They keep asking to photograph my card

OMG SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!!! I have an Assurance Wireless govt phone and had $738 stolen in February!!! The county replaced it after 2 months of fighting but now I'm paranoid AF about using my card anywhere. Which stores were asking to photograph your card?? That's DEFINITELY not normal procedure and sounds shady as hell. 🚩🚩🚩

This is extremely concerning. Store employees should NEVER be taking photos of your EBT card. That is absolutely not a legitimate policy for any retailer. They may ask to see ID to match the name, but photographing the card is completely inappropriate and potentially illegal. Regarding your question about government phones - there's no direct connection between LifeLine phones and EBT theft that's been officially identified. However, identity theft rings sometimes target multiple benefit programs simultaneously. To protect yourself: 1. Never let your card leave your sight 2. Cover the card number when using it 3. Change your PIN immediately and then regularly 4. Check your EBT balance frequently through the EBT app 5. Report suspicious activity immediately to both the store manager and the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) If benefits were stolen, file a claim through BenefitsCal or your county office right away. Under current regulations, stolen benefits can be replaced if reported promptly.

my cousins benefits got stole 2 and she has the free govt phone to. maybe its connected?? they never found who did it tho

This is unfortunately a growing problem with EBT theft. While there's no confirmed connection to LifeLine phones specifically, there are several common ways benefits are being stolen: 1. Skimming devices at store terminals 2. Card information theft by employees 3. Phone/text phishing scams 4. Data breaches of personal information Any store demanding to photograph your card is extremely suspicious. This is NOT standard procedure and you should report those stores to both the USDA FNS fraud hotline (1-800-424-9121) and your county office immediately. For anyone dealing with benefit theft, the process of getting benefits replaced can be frustratingly slow. If you're having trouble reaching someone at your county office about your theft claim, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you skip the phone queues and get connected to a real person at the county. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I used it when my benefits were stolen and got connected in minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected.

i think its THE INSIDE JOB!!!!! my friend works at county office and says its hapenning EVERYWHERE not just ppl with govt phones. the hackers are getting sophisticated and the county systems are from like 1995. they cant keep up with the fraud. i switched to getting a paper check mailed to me instead of EBT card deposit. its annoying but safer.

Just to clarify some misinformation in this thread - CalFresh benefits cannot be issued as paper checks. They are only distributed via EBT cards. The previous commenter may be confusing this with CalWORKs benefits, which in some circumstances can be issued differently. Regarding the government phone connection - there's no evidence of a systematic link between LifeLine phones and EBT theft. However, if multiple people with government phones are experiencing theft, it could point to either: 1. A targeting strategy by fraudsters who know LifeLine participants likely also have benefits 2. A breach in a system that handles both programs 3. Simply correlation rather than causation (many benefit recipients have LifeLine phones) The photographing of your card is the most concerning detail and is definitely something to report immediately.

Has anyone successfully gotten their stolen benefits back? I filed my claim in February and I'm STILL waiting! They sent me a letter saying 'investigation in process' but my worker never responds to messages. I've got kids to feed and rent due next week. This system is broken!!

I work at a community resource center, and we've seen a surge in EBT theft cases over the past few months. The store photographing your card is a MAJOR red flag. I'd recommend immediately reporting this to: 1. The store's corporate headquarters (if it's a chain) 2. The USDA FNS fraud department 3. Your local police department 4. Your county CalFresh office For immediate food assistance while waiting for your theft claim to be processed, check with local food banks. Many have emergency provisions specifically for people waiting on benefit replacement. Regarding the government phone connection - we haven't seen definitive evidence of this link, but we do know that fraudsters often target people who use multiple assistance programs because they're looking for vulnerable populations.

I had my benefits stolen last year and eventually got them back. The key is documentation - take screenshots of your EBT account showing the unauthorized transactions, file a police report, and submit everything to your county office. Be persistent! Also, never share your PIN, don't use easy numbers (like birth year), and check your balance frequently. I now check mine every few days through the app. Oh, and those stores photographing your card? That's 100% sketchy and probably illegal. Report them!

After reading through this entire thread, I want to emphasize something important: If you believe your personal information has been compromised across multiple benefits programs (CalFresh, LifeLine, etc.), you should also consider placing a freeze on your credit reports with the major credit bureaus. Identity thieves who target government benefits often attempt to use the same personal information for other types of fraud. A credit freeze provides an extra layer of protection against identity theft beyond your benefits. Regarding the timing of benefit replacement - under California regulations, counties should process EBT theft claims within 10 days of receiving all required documentation. If your claim has been pending longer than this, escalation to a supervisor is appropriate.

I've been following this thread closely and want to share some additional resources that might help everyone dealing with EBT theft. First, there's actually a dedicated California EBT fraud reporting website at ebtfraud.ca.gov where you can report suspicious store activities like photographing cards. This goes directly to the state's investigation unit. Second, for those struggling with long wait times for benefit replacement - you may be eligible for emergency food assistance through your county while your theft claim is being processed. Ask specifically about "expedited replacement benefits" when you call. Regarding the government phone connection - while there's no proven direct link, I've noticed that scammers often use data from breaches of companies that serve low-income populations to target multiple benefit programs simultaneously. So it's possible that's what's happening here rather than the phones themselves being compromised. Most importantly - NEVER let ANY store employee take your card out of your sight or photograph it. That's not legitimate anywhere and is a huge red flag for card skimming operations. Stay vigilant everyone, and don't give up on getting your stolen benefits replaced. You're entitled to them!