EBT card theft - $1,600 stolen from my CalFresh benefits last week - emergency help needed!

This happened to me last year - it's definitely EBT skimming. You need to do three things immediately: 1. Call the EBT customer service number on the back of your card to report the theft and cancel your current card 2. File a police report (this is required for the claim) 3. Contact your county CalFresh office and tell them you need to submit a "form CF 303" for benefit replacement due to theft They've gotten better about replacing stolen benefits since skimming became such a big problem, but you need to report it within 10 days of discovering the theft, so don't wait!

u need 2 change ur pin asap!! my cousin got his stole 2 and the thieves kept taking $$ every day until he changed it. they put skimmers on the atms and store machines.

Unfortunately, I've had to help several clients with this exact issue. EBT skimming has become extremely common. Here's the complete process for getting your benefits back: 1. Call EBT customer service (877-328-9677) to report the theft and request a new card 2. Change your PIN immediately during this call 3. File a police report - most departments allow this online now 4. Contact your county CalFresh office and request the CF 303 form (Statement of Stolen Benefits) 5. Submit the completed form along with the police report number 6. Request expedited processing due to hardship By law, they must investigate and replace legitimate stolen benefits. The process typically takes 10-14 days but can be expedited. Keep all transaction records and take screenshots of the unauthorized purchases if you can see them in your EBT account history.

The same thing happened to me in February!! I had over $900 stolen and I was FURIOUS! Called the EBT number and waited ON HOLD for 2 HOURS just to be told I needed to contact my county office. Then called the county for THREE DAYS straight and could never get through! The whole system is a JOKE and designed to make us give up. I finally got my benefits back after almost TWO MONTHS of fighting. This country hates poor people I swear.

I got my CalFresh benefits stolen 2 times this year already. Everyone is right about reporting to EBT customer service and filing police report. But nobody mentioned to check for CAMERAS at the ATM or store where u last used your card!!! That's how they caught the person who stole mine - they had installed a tiny camera to record PINs. When u get your new card, always cover your hand when entering PIN and check for anything suspicious on the machine.

Have you tried contacting your county CalFresh office directly? I had to deal with this last month, and I was getting absolutely nowhere with the regular EBT customer service line. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person at my county office in minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Once I actually got to speak with a real case worker, they were able to expedite my CF 303 form and I got emergency replacement benefits within 3 days. Definitely worth it when you're in a situation like this where you need help immediately.

this happened to my neighbor and they got their benefits back in like 3 weeks. make sure u dont use the same pin as before when u get ur new card! those thieves sometimes hit the same person twice

Just to follow up on this thread with some important information: As of January 2025, California has enhanced protections for CalFresh recipients who experience benefit theft. The state now requires county offices to process theft claims within 7 business days. Additionally, if you're experiencing a food emergency while waiting, you can request an immediate emergency allotment (typically 25% of your monthly benefit) to help bridge the gap. Also, there's a new option to freeze/unfreeze your EBT card through the BenefitsCal app or website, which can help prevent unauthorized transactions when you're not actively using your card. If you believe your information was compromised at a specific retailer, include that in your police report as it helps with the broader investigation into skimming rings.