P-EBT card fraud - someone activated my son's card using his birthday

omg that happened to my niece too last month! they said someone used her card and when we called they just gave us the runaround. this is ridiculous that theyre letting people steal from kids and doing nothing!!

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, P-EBT fraud has been a growing problem. While the P-EBT customer service line doesn't have a dedicated fraud department, you should report this to your county CalFresh office immediately. They can direct you to the appropriate state department that handles benefit fraud. Also, make sure to file a police report - this is identity theft since they used your son's personal information. Some possibilities for how this happened: 1. Mail theft (cards are sent via regular mail) 2. Data breach from school records 3. Someone with access to your son's information Document everything, including all calls you've made and who you spoke with. The state can investigate and potentially reissue benefits in some cases.

the same thing happend to me but with regular EBT not the p-ebt thing. i think the mail carriers are in on it cuz how else would they get the cards AND know the birthday?? the whole system is a joke seriously

This is unfortunately becoming quite common with P-EBT benefits. While the P-EBT customer service line doesn't handle fraud directly, you should immediately: 1. Contact the California EBT Customer Service (1-877-328-9677) and report the card as stolen - they'll deactivate it to prevent further use 2. Call the Welfare Fraud Hotline at 1-800-344-8477 - despite what you were told, this is the correct department for reporting benefit theft 3. File a police report with your local department 4. Contact your county CalFresh office directly to explain the situation In some cases, they can review and potentially reissue benefits if they determine fraud has occurred. Document all communications carefully. You might need to be persistent, but there are certainly procedures for handling benefit theft.

try calling claimyr.com to get thru to an actual person at the county office instead of waiting on hold forever. it helped me get through when i had a similar issue with benefits being stolen. they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 i was on hold for 3 hours before i tried this, got through to someone in like 20 min after using it. the county worker actually helped me file the right paperwork for stolen benefits. much better than those useless customer service people!

I work in an advocacy office that deals with these issues. P-EBT fraud is definitely reportable, despite what you were told. The fact that your child's birthday was used suggests this might be more than random theft - possibly someone with access to school records or other personal information. First, contact the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) fraud hotline at 1-800-344-8477. Make it clear this is P-EBT fraud, not regular CalFresh. Second, the CDSS does have a P-EBT specific escalation team that county offices can contact on your behalf. This is why connecting with your county CalFresh office directly is important. Third, request a "Case Record Review" specifically - this is the formal process that can lead to benefit replacement. Fourth, mention "Administrative Remedy" specifically when you call. This term will signal to the worker that you're familiar with the formal resolution process. Don't give up - I've seen several cases where stolen P-EBT benefits were eventually replaced after proper investigation.

i bet those state workers stole it themselves!! they have all the info right there in their computers

When this happened to my daughter's P-EBT card last year, I discovered that filing a police report was actually the key to getting it resolved. The county office initially gave me the runaround, but once I had the police report number, they suddenly took it much more seriously. It took about 8 weeks, but they eventually replaced about 80% of the stolen benefits after their investigation. Also, check if your mail was being delivered correctly around the time the card should have arrived. We found out our mail carrier was delivering to the wrong address for a while (apartment complex mix-up), which is likely how someone got access to the card.

this is y i always get my mail from one of those private mailbox places now, ive had so much stuff stolen from my regular mailbox its not even funny.

Update on P-EBT fraud for 2025: The CDSS has actually implemented a new process for handling P-EBT theft cases specifically because of the increase in these incidents. When you contact them, ask about the "P-EBT Benefit Replacement Protocol" that was implemented in February 2025. Under this protocol, they can replace benefits if you file both a police report and a signed affidavit (which they will provide) attesting that you never received or used the card. The new process requires two forms of identity verification and proof of address, but can result in full benefit replacement within 30 days if approved. This is fairly new so some representatives might not be familiar with it - ask to speak with a supervisor if needed.

Did you eventually get this resolved? I'd be interested to know which approach worked for you, as I'm currently helping several families with similar P-EBT theft issues.