Finally recovered my stolen EBT benefits from December - CalFresh theft reimbursement process

Congrats on finally getting your benefits back! The same thing happened to me in February - someone took $650 from my EBT at an ATM I'd never even been to. The county worker said thefts are WAY up in 2025. I'm still waiting for my reimbursement though... did you have to submit any special forms beyond the initial theft report? I'm worried I'm missing something because it's been 2 months now.

Thank you! After the initial theft report, they sent me this verification form where I had to sign that I wasn't the one who made those transactions. Then I had to send in a copy of the police report number (didn't need the full report). After that was just LOTS of calling to check status. Have you received the verification form yet?

This reimbursement process is so frustrating but I'm glad you got your benefits back! For anyone dealing with EBT theft, here's what you need to know:\n\n1. Report the theft to EBT Customer Service immediately (877-328-9677)\n2. File a police report (this is required for the claim)\n3. Submit a CF 303 form to your county office (Benefit Theft Replacement Request)\n4. Get an official case number for your theft claim\n\nBy law, they should process and replace benefits within 10 days of receiving a complete claim, but with the huge increase in EBT skimming, many counties are taking 3-4 months now. And yes, many people don't receive notifications when funds are replaced - always check your balance regularly.

Thank you for this detailed breakdown! I wish I'd known about the 10-day rule - nobody mentioned that to me. Do you know if there's a way to set up text alerts for deposits? I was surviving on food banks for months because I had no idea when I'd get the money back.

When my benefits were stolen last year, I was in the same position - calling repeatedly with no updates. I finally managed to speak with an actual CalFresh worker after using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me skip the phone queue and got me connected to a real person in about 10 minutes. I was able to get my claim escalated and received my benefits back within a week after months of waiting. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with benefit theft issues.

does this claimyr thing really work? ive been calling the calfresh office for 3 days straight about my stolen benefits and cant get thru to anyone. just the stupid automated system over and over

YAY!!!! So happy for you!!!!! My sister had her benefits stolen last month and she's freaking out because we have 3 kids to feed. Did you have to get a new EBT card or did they just add the money back to your existing one?

Thanks! They put it back on my existing card, but honestly that's probably not the safest. I'm planning to request a new card with a different number since whoever stole from me obviously has my card info. Tell your sister to request a new card ASAP!

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN BY DESIGN!!! I had $900 stolen in January and I'm STILL WAITING for reimbursement!!!! They make it IMPOSSIBLE to get help on purpose. Called 35+ times, went to the office TWICE, and still nothing!! The worker even told me

i feel u. went thru same thing last yr. trick is to keep calling diff numbers til u get someone who actually cares. some workers will push ur claim thru faster if u explain ur situation. dont give up

WHAT different numbers though?? I've tried the main line, the EBT customer service, the fraud department... WHO ELSE IS THERE TO CALL??? The system is designed to run us in circles!!!!

I'm curious - did you keep using the same EBT card after the theft? My worker told me to get a new card immediately and to change my PIN, but I'm worried about losing access to my remaining benefits during the switch. Also, did they explain where/how your card was skimmed? I'm paranoid about using my card anywhere now.

I did keep using the same card (big mistake). I changed my PIN right away, but now I realize the skimmers probably have all my card info. They never told me exactly how it was skimmed, but all the fraudulent transactions were at a grocery store in a city 2 hours away that I've never been to. Now I'm super careful - I check the card reader for anything suspicious and cover the keypad when entering my PIN.

wait u can get money back if its stolen??? my benefits disappeared in november like $200 just gone but i thought we just had to deal with it. how long ago can u still report it??

Yes, you can file a claim for stolen benefits! For EBT theft, you generally need to report it within 90 days of the theft occurring. Since your theft was in November (about 5 months ago), you might be outside that window, but it's still worth calling your county office to ask about options. Bring your EBT transaction history showing the unauthorized withdrawals when you report it. The process has improved somewhat in 2025 because of all the skimming cases.

congrats on getting ur money back! took me 5 months last year to get mine back after someone skimmed my card at a sketchy atm. best advice - get the BenefitsCal app on ur phone and check it DAILY. u can see transactions right away and report anything weird. also never use ur card at gas stations thats where most skimmers are

Does the BenefitsCal app actually work now? I tried using it last year and it was always crashing or saying

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're facing hardship while waiting for stolen benefits to be replaced, you can request an expedited hardship replacement. In California, if you're experiencing an immediate food need, you can request emergency benefits while your theft claim is being processed. You'll need to submit a statement of hardship along with your theft claim form (CF 303). This doesn't work in every case, but it helped me get partial benefits while waiting for my full theft reimbursement.

I had no idea about this option! Nobody at the county office mentioned it, even when I told them I was struggling to buy food. Is there a specific form for the hardship request or just a written statement?