EBT card stolen - CalFresh benefits wiped out overnight! Who to call for emergency replacement?

I'm so sorry this happened to you! You need to call the EBT Customer Service number at 1-877-328-9677 right away to report the theft. This is the official number for all California EBT cards. They can freeze your account and start the replacement process. Also contact your county office to report the theft - each county has different procedures for benefit theft replacement. Keep documentation of when your benefits were stolen and when you reported it.

this hapend to me too!!! they stole all my food stamps back in december. u gotta fill out the EBT-2259 form for benefit theft. u can get it online from the calfresh website but the county ppl still need to process it. took me like 3 weeks to get my money back n i had to borrow from family. system is so screwed up.

Contact your county office ASAP. Under the new 2025 guidelines, they must replace stolen benefits within 10 business days if you file the EBT-2259 form. Make sure you have the date, time, and amount stolen ready when you call. Also note that California has implemented new security measures - be sure to ask about getting a new card with a chip to prevent future skimming. I suggest trying your local food bank for emergency assistance while waiting for replacement benefits.

You'll need to file a police report too! I work with a local community organization and we see this all the time. The county workers will ask for the police report number when processing your EBT-2259 form. Most counties now let you upload the form through BenefitsCal.com but honestly the quickest way to get this handled is to actually speak with a worker directly. Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that gets you through to a real person at the county office without waiting on hold. I used it when my benefits weren't issued correctly and got through in minutes instead of hours. The video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 shows how it works, and their website is claimyr.com. Definitely helped me during my crisis!

DONT WASTE UR TIME WITH THE REGULAR CALFRESH NUMBER!!!! You need to talk to the EBT Theft Department specifically! My county has a separate division that handles just benefit theft cases. Had the same thing happen in February and finally got my benefits back after filing the police report and the EBT-2259 form. They also have emergency benefit replacement if you have kids but you HAVE to talk to a worker directly and explain the hardship. They won't offer it otherwise!!

I feel your pain. When my calfresh got stolen last year I had to go to the office in person because I could never reach anyone by phone. Bring ID and your EBT card. Ask specifically for an "immediate need" assessment for emergency replacement benefits. They can sometimes issue them same-day on a temporary card but you have to be physically present and explain your hardship situation with kids. Also make sure to get the replacement form and file the police report asap. The 10-day replacement timeframe doesn't start until ALL paperwork is submitted properly.

this happens way too often with the magnetic strip cards. my cousin got her benefits stolen twice last year. make sure u ask for the new chip card when u get a replacement. also they should give u a temp card with emergency benefits if u have kids but sometimes they dont tell u about it unless u specifically ask. its not ur regular amount but enough for like a week or so. good luck

UPDATE: Finally got through to a real person at the county! They're processing my EBT-2259 form and I have an appointment tomorrow to get emergency replacement benefits on a temporary card. The worker said they can issue about 25% of my monthly amount while the investigation happens. I also filed a police report online. Going to check out the food bank today too. Thank you everyone for the advice!

I'm glad you got through! One more tip - document EVERYTHING. Take photos of any papers they give you, write down the names of workers you speak with, and keep notes about all conversations. If the full replacement gets delayed, this documentation will help. Also, when you receive your new card, immediately set up the California EBT Mobile app if you haven't already. It allows you to freeze and unfreeze your card between uses, which provides extra security against theft in the future.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's incredibly stressful when you have kids to feed! I went through something similar last year and wanted to share a few things that helped speed up my case. First, when you go to your appointment tomorrow, bring any receipts from the last few times you used your card to show your normal usage pattern - this helps prove the fraudulent transactions. Second, ask specifically about "expedited processing" for households with children under 18 - some counties can fast-track these cases. Also, if you're still having trouble reaching county workers by phone in the future, try calling right when they open (usually 8 AM) or during lunch hours when call volume is sometimes lower. The food bank was a lifesaver for us during the waiting period. You're doing everything right by staying on top of this and advocating for your family!