CalFresh EBT card used in another state - possible fraud? Need urgent help!

Omg this happened to me last year!!! You NEED to call your county office directly asap not just the EBT customer service. The automated line doesn't handle fraud cases well. When I had fraud they just canceled my card but didn't automatically investigate the charges or refund them. You have to specifically request a fraud investigation. Do you have a police report? That helps too.

I've been through this exact situation in 2024 and spent weeks getting it resolved. Here's what you need to do: 1. File a police report right away - even though the charges were out of state, your local police can take the report 2. Call your county office (not just EBT customer service) and tell them you need to file a "CalFresh benefit theft claim" 3. Ask for the ARU-1 form to document the fraud 4. Keep detailed notes of every call including date, time, and who you spoke with 5. Request emergency replacement benefits while your case is being investigated The county has 10 days to issue emergency replacement benefits if you qualify. Don't accept no as an answer - I had to be very persistent. Good luck!

Hey there, really sorry this happened to you. I work at a community resource center and see this unfortunately often. One thing that might help while you're dealing with the EBT fraud - contact your local food bank right away for emergency assistance. Most food banks can provide immediate help without a lot of paperwork when there's an EBT theft situation. You can find your nearest one at cafoodbanks.org. Also, when you call your county, specifically ask for the "EBT Card Fraud Unit" - some counties have designated workers for these cases who can process claims faster.

same thing happened to my sister last month. she got all money back but took almost 3 weeks. keep ur physical card as evidence dont lose it. they gonna ask for all info about the charges date time amount etc. good luck

If ur card was used in Nevada the county is gonna ask if u reported to Nevada police too. Also did u ever shop online with the card? Sometimes online stores can have data breaches. I think there was a big EBT scam last month where ppl were getting text messages pretending to be EBT customer service asking to verify account info. Did u get any weird texts like that?

I had to deal with EBT fraud last year and spent DAYS trying to get through to my county office. After getting disconnected multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live person at the county in about 10 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when a real person answers. Was absolutely worth it for me when dealing with fraud since time is critical. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Be prepared with all your transaction details when you call - dates, amounts, and locations of the fraudulent charges. And definitely file that police report first!

Quick update on emergency benefits - there's an important distinction here. For CalFresh fraud cases, you can request what's called "immediate assistance" while your case is investigated, which is different from the regular emergency CalFresh. Make sure to use those exact words when you call. Also, take photos of your physical card showing you still have it, as this helps prove that your card was cloned/skimmed rather than lost/stolen, which can speed up the investigation.

ALWAYS check your EBT balance weekly!!! These scammers are getting more sophisticated and targeting benefit recipients like crazy in 2025. My coworker just had her entire month's worth of CalFresh stolen and she didn't notice for two weeks. By then most of the money was gone and she had a harder time proving fraud. Protect yourselves!!

i heard theres a new law in california that makes it easier to get benefits back after fraud but not sure when it takes effect? anyone know if thats true or just a rumor??????