EBT card theft keeps happening - why won't CalFresh add chip cards or locking features?

Unfortunately, this is a systemic issue across California and other states. The current magnetic stripe technology on EBT cards is significantly outdated - it's essentially 1980s technology in 2025. You're absolutely right that chip cards would dramatically reduce skimming theft, which is the most common method criminals use. Regarding reimbursement: California did implement some EBT theft reimbursement policies back in 2023, but it's extremely limited. For CalFresh specifically, you can only get reimbursed once in a lifetime, up to two months of benefits, and you must file a police report within 10 days of discovering the theft. The process is also incredibly slow - taking 3-6 months in most cases I've seen. The USDA (which funds SNAP/CalFresh) has been "evaluating" chip card technology since 2020, but implementation would require federal legislation and significant funding across all states. I'd recommend contacting your state representatives to push for this change.

this happended to my brother last year they took all his food stamps rite after they got loaded and the lady at the office said its not there fault and they cant give the money back so he had NOTHING for his 3 kids that month

I work with low-income families, and EBT theft has become incredibly common. Here's what I recommend to protect yourself: 1. ONLY use your EBT card at major grocery store checkout lanes with a cashier (not self-checkout) 2. Never use it at ATMs or point-of-sale terminals at small convenience stores or gas stations 3. Check your EBT balance frequently through the official app 4. Change your PIN regularly (monthly) 5. When not actively shopping, keep your EBT card in a RFID-blocking wallet or sleeve If theft does occur, immediately: 1. Call the EBT customer service line to report it and change your PIN 2. File a police report (required for any hope of reimbursement) 3. Contact your county office and ask for the "CalFresh Benefit Theft Replacement Form" Unfortunately, many county workers don't fully understand the reimbursement process themselves, so be persistent.

My card got skimmed at a grocery store last year and I lost $780 that I was counting on to feed my kids. I filed a police report and everything but STILL haven't gotten reimbursed after 8 months of calling and filling out forms. The system is a joke. I did notice California finally added the ability to check your EBT balance through text message this year, which helps me catch suspicious activity faster, but it's not enough. We need actual security features! Has anyone tried calling their state assembly member about this? I'm wondering if that would help push for better security.

I've been trying to reach someone at my county office about this exact issue for weeks. Every time I call, I get stuck in an endless phone tree or wait 2+ hours only to get disconnected. It's beyond frustrating when this affects our ability to feed our families. By the way, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that has been a game-changer for getting through to CalFresh workers. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you back when a real person is on the line. Saved me hours of wait time. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 I used it to finally talk to someone about my neighbor's stolen benefits situation. The worker told me they're "aware of the issue" but have no timeline for implementing better security features. Classic government response. 🙄

There's actually a legislative bill that was introduced this year (AB-453) that would require California to implement chip technology in all EBT cards by 2026. It hasn't passed yet, but there's a chance it might. You can look it up and contact your representatives to support it. In the meantime, I've started taking my EBT card out of my wallet only when I'm actively shopping and immediately putting it back in a secure pocket. It's ridiculous we have to take these precautions, but until the government catches up to 2010 technology, we don't have much choice. Also, be very careful about card skimmers - before inserting your card anywhere, give the card reader a firm tug. Skimmers are often loosely attached and will come off.

my cousin works for the county and she said they KNOW the cards need chips but theres some federal regulation that makes it hard to change anything with the cards. its not just california its ALL states having this problem but nobody wants to spend the $$$$ to fix it 🤬

just wondering has anyone tried those rfid blocking sleeves for their ebt cards? do they actually work?

This is such a frustrating situation that affects so many families. I had my EBT card compromised about 6 months ago - lost $400 right before the weekend when I was planning to do my grocery shopping. Like others mentioned, I filed a police report and submitted all the paperwork, but I'm still waiting for any kind of response from the county. What really gets me is that my bank immediately replaced my debit card with a chip card when it got compromised, no questions asked. But with EBT, we're stuck with this ancient technology that makes us sitting ducks for criminals. I've started doing what @Owen Devar suggested - only using my card at major grocery stores with cashiers, never at ATMs or sketchy gas stations. It's annoying having to be so paranoid, but until they fix this broken system, we don't have much choice. Has anyone had any luck actually getting through to their state representatives about this? I'm thinking of writing letters but wondering if it's worth the effort or if they'll just ignore it like the county offices do.

This whole situation is absolutely infuriating! I can't believe we're dealing with 1980s technology for something as critical as food assistance in 2025. Reading everyone's stories here just reinforces how widespread this problem is. I actually had my card skimmed at a gas station about 3 months ago - lost $650 in benefits that I desperately needed for my family. Filed the police report like everyone said, but the officer basically rolled his eyes and said "another EBT theft" like it was no big deal. Still haven't heard anything back from the county about reimbursement. What really bothers me is that the government can track our every move online and collect taxes digitally, but somehow they can't figure out how to put a chip on a card or add a simple lock feature? My teenage daughter's checking account has better security than my food benefits! I'm definitely going to look into that AB-453 bill @Connor Rupert mentioned and start calling my representatives. Maybe if enough of us make noise about this, they'll finally do something. We shouldn't have to live in fear every time we buy groceries.

This is absolutely maddening - I've been following this issue for months and it just keeps getting worse! My sister-in-law had her benefits stolen twice in the past year (yes, TWICE) and of course only got reimbursed the first time. Now she's terrified to use her card anywhere except the one grocery store she trusts. What really gets me is that we keep hearing about these "pilot programs" and "studies" but nothing ever actually changes. Meanwhile, criminals are getting more sophisticated with their skimming devices and we're still stuck with cards that have zero protection. I did some research and found out that other countries updated their food assistance cards to chip technology YEARS ago. The UK did it in 2018, and several EU countries had it even earlier. So this isn't some impossible technical challenge - it's just a lack of political will and funding priorities. For anyone dealing with theft right now, I'd also recommend setting up account alerts if your state offers them. California's EBT app now lets you get text notifications for any transaction over a certain amount, which at least helps you catch theft faster. It's not a solution, but it's something. We really need to organize and make this a bigger political issue. Food security shouldn't come with the constant fear of having your benefits stolen by criminals taking advantage of outdated technology.

This thread really hits home for me - I just joined this community after my own EBT benefits got stolen last week. Lost $380 that was supposed to last my family the whole month, and like everyone else here, I'm getting the runaround from the county office. What's really eye-opening is reading about how widespread this problem is. I thought I was just unlucky, but it sounds like this is happening to people constantly! The fact that we have "once in a lifetime" reimbursement for something that's clearly a systemic security failure is absolutely ridiculous. I'm definitely going to try some of the protection tips mentioned here - especially only using my card at major grocery stores with cashiers and checking for loose card readers. But honestly, we shouldn't have to become security experts just to keep our food benefits safe. Count me in for any coordinated effort to contact representatives about this. Reading about AB-453 gives me some hope, but we clearly need to put more pressure on politicians to actually prioritize this issue. When families are going hungry because of preventable theft, that should be an emergency, not something to study for years while doing nothing. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's awful that so many of us are dealing with this, but at least we're not alone.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to this problem - my EBT card got skimmed at a corner store last month and I lost $425 in benefits. Reading through all these stories is both validating and heartbreaking. It's clear this isn't just bad luck affecting a few people, it's a massive systemic failure that's leaving families without food. What really struck me is learning about the "once in a lifetime" reimbursement policy. How is that even legal when the theft is happening because of the government's own outdated security system? It's like if your apartment landlord refused to fix broken locks and then told you "tough luck" when you got robbed twice. I'm definitely interested in joining any coordinated effort to push for AB-453 or other solutions. The idea of all of us contacting representatives during the same week sounds smart - maybe we could also share template letters or talking points to make it easier for people to participate? In the meantime, I've started following the safety tips mentioned here. I'm also going to look into that Claimyr service someone mentioned because I've been trying to reach my county office for weeks with no luck. It's ridiculous that we need a third-party service just to talk to the people who are supposed to help us, but here we are. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice. At least we know we're not fighting this alone.