CalFresh EBT card drained by someone in another state - any hope of getting $940 benefits back?
Just discovered all our CalFresh benefits got wiped out this morning. Someone in Illinois somehow used our EBT card even though we live in California and still have the physical card with us! They took $940 which was our family's entire month of groceries for me, my partner and our three kids. Called the EBT customer service number but got stuck in an endless loop of automated messages. Has anyone dealt with EBT theft before? Do I need to file a police report? Contact my county worker? How long does it take to get stolen benefits back? We literally can't afford groceries until this gets fixed and I'm freaking out right now.
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Sophia Miller
Sorry this happened to you! Yes, this is considered EBT theft and you CAN get your benefits back, but you need to act quickly. Here's what to do: 1. Call your county CalFresh office right away and report the theft 2. File a police report and get a case number 3. Fill out the EBT-2259 form for benefit replacement (ask your county worker for this) 4. Request a new EBT card immediately California has a special process for out-of-state theft because it's easy to prove you weren't in Illinois. They should be able to credit your account within 10 business days if you provide all documentation. Make sure to ask about emergency replacement benefits if your family has no food.
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Elijah Jackson
•THANK YOU for this info. I've been calling the county number all morning and can't get through the automated system to a real person. Is there ANY way to skip these stupid phone trees? My kids are asking why there's no food in the fridge and I'm about to lose it.
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Mason Davis
the same thing happend to my sister last year someone in florida cleaned out her ebt card for $400 and she had to get police report. they gave her the money back after like 3 weeks but she had to borrow money for food from our mom until then. make sure u freeze ur card so they cant take more money!!!
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Elijah Jackson
•3 WEEKS??? We can't go 3 weeks without food. Did your sister try getting emergency benefits while waiting? And how do I freeze the card?
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Mia Rodriguez
This is happening all over Cali right now. Thieves are using skimmers on EBT machines to steal card info. Always check card readers before you swipe! You think the gov would protect our benefits better but they don't care about us.
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Jacob Lewis
•This is actually an important point. When you get your new EBT card, set up the BenefitsCal app to get text alerts for all transactions. You can also call the EBT customer service line to change your PIN regularly. Just because you have the physical card doesn't mean someone hasn't cloned your card info from a skimmer.
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Amelia Martinez
I went through this exact nightmare back in November when someone in New York somehow used my CalFresh benefits ($765) while I was sitting at home in San Diego. Here's what I learned that might help you: 1. The county phone lines are absolutely useless for this - you'll never get through. 2. I used Claimyr.com to connect with a live worker at my county office without waiting on hold for hours. They have a service that calls the county for you and rings your phone when a real person answers. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8) and it worked exactly like they said. 3. Once I got through to a person, they immediately took my theft report and started the replacement process. 4. The county worker told me that out-of-state theft is considered "clear evidence of fraud" which can speed up the replacement timeline. 5. I got my benefits back in 6 business days. Much faster than I expected. Don't wait on this - the sooner you report it, the faster you'll get your money back.
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Elijah Jackson
•Thank you SO MUCH for this tip about Claimyr! I just tried it and got through to an actual human at the county office after trying for hours on my own. They're processing my theft report now and said I might qualify for expedited replacement since it was clearly out-of-state fraud. I'll update when I know more.
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Ethan Clark
Be careful with this! My cousin filed for EBT theft and they accused HER of fraud and made her do an investigation before getting her benefits back. They thought she was trying to get double benefits. The system is rigged against us! Make sure you have all your evidence organized before you call.
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Sophia Miller
•This is rare but can happen if you don't have documentation. OP, make sure to get a police report with the date and time of the fraudulent transaction. The county can see that the transaction happened in Illinois while you're in California. If you have any receipts showing you were in California on the date of the theft, save those as evidence too.
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Mila Walker
dnt they have cameras at the store? cant they see its not you using the card
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Jacob Lewis
•Unfortunately getting camera footage from an out-of-state store is nearly impossible through the CalFresh system. The good news is that out-of-state transactions are automatically flagged as suspicious. The county can see the location data and transaction timing, which usually provides enough evidence for benefit replacement without camera footage.
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Elijah Jackson
UPDATE: Got through to my county worker using that Claimyr service (seriously thank you for recommending it). They're processing my claim and I should get replacement benefits within 7-10 days. They also said I might qualify for emergency food assistance through a local food bank partnership while I wait. The worker flagged our case for expedited processing because it was clearly an out-of-state theft (we've never even been to Illinois). Also got a new EBT card being mailed overnight and they're freezing the old one. Still stressed but at least there's a plan now.
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Sophia Miller
•Great news! Make sure to ask about the 2259 form - some counties require it for the official record even if they start the process over the phone. And definitely take them up on the food bank referral. Many food banks have special programs specifically for families waiting on CalFresh benefit replacement.
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Mia Rodriguez
The whole EBT system is broken. Why don't they have better security?? My friend said they should add fingerprint verification to EBT cards like they have on phones. They spend billions on these programs but can't protect our benefits from thieves!!
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Amelia Martinez
•They actually ARE upgrading EBT security in California, but it's taking forever to implement. In the meantime, here's what the county worker told me: change your PIN monthly, check the card reader for skimmers before inserting your card, and set up transaction alerts in the BenefitsCal app. These steps help prevent most theft situations.
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Mason Davis
did u check ur transaction history? maybe it wasnt fraud maybe someone in ur household spent it and isnt telling u?
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Elijah Jackson
•Yes I checked the transaction history. It shows 4 separate purchases at stores in Chicago all within 1 hour. We live in Sacramento and have never been to Illinois. My husband and kids were all at home with me when it happened. It's definitely fraud.
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