CalFresh EBT fraud reimbursement timeline - FINALLY got my benefits back!

OMG this literally happened to me last month!! but i got all $1,240 of my benefits stolen and they said it would take 'up to 90 days' to investigate?? how did you get yours back in just 15 days??? i've been calling the county office every other day but keep getting disconnected after waiting for like an hour

Congrats on getting your benefits back! I went through this last year and it took 45 days for me to get reimbursed. One tip for preventing future theft: when using your EBT card at stores, always check for card skimmers (wiggle the card reader before inserting). Also, I now transfer my benefits to a separate EBT account as soon as they're deposited and only move over what I need for shopping that day. Been doing this for 6 months with no issues.

I work for a community org that helps with benefit issues, and EBT theft has become incredibly common. Here's what everyone should know: 1. California now has theft protection for EBT cards (as of 2023) 2. Claims under $1,000 typically process in 10-25 days 3. Claims over $1,000 can take 30-90 days 4. You MUST file within 90 days of the theft 5. Always change your PIN after every suspected fraudulent transaction The most important thing is documenting everything. Keep receipts showing where you actually shopped, file a police report, and check your transactions regularly through the EBT app.

same exact thing happened to my cousin they stole over $1000 from her and she had 3 kids to feed!!! the county made her wait almost 3 months and kept asking for more documents!! the whole system is a joke they dont care about us at all

I've been helping clients with EBT theft claims for the past year, and 15 days is actually pretty quick! For anyone dealing with this issue and having trouble reaching someone at the county office, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that gets you through to a live CalFresh worker without the wait. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I've seen claims get resolved much faster when clients can actually speak to someone rather than waiting for the system to process things automatically. The key is persistent follow-up.

Thanks for sharing your timeline - it's helpful to know what to expect. I noticed something weird on my last EBT statement (some purchases in a city I've never been to), but I've been putting off reporting it because I was worried about how long I'd be without those benefits. Seeing that you got yours back in 15 days gives me hope. Did they provide replacement benefits at full value or did they deduct anything?

congrats! my benefits got stolen twice in 6 months... first time took 3 weeks to get back second time took over 2 months and they were suspicious like i was trying to scam them or something. so annoying.

For anyone who's had their benefits stolen or is worried about it happening, here are some additional prevention tips from my CalFresh worker: 1. Never use your card at gas station pumps - go inside to pay 2. Only use your card at major grocery stores (they have better security) 3. Change your PIN on payday before shopping 4. Check your balance before and after every purchase 5. If possible, use up your benefits within the first week they're available These steps have kept me safe since my theft last year!

This is such valuable information, thank you for sharing your timeline! I've been putting off reporting what I think might be fraudulent activity on my account because I was scared about being without benefits for months. Knowing you got yours back in just 15 days is really encouraging. I noticed some transactions at stores I've never been to about 3 weeks ago - should I still report it even though it's been a while? Also, did you have to provide anything besides bank statements to prove you weren't at those locations?