Someone stole $1,000 from my CalFresh EBT card! How do I report and get my benefits back?

I'm so sorry this happened to you. EBT theft has unfortunately become more common in 2025. You need to do these things immediately: 1. Call the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) to report the theft and request a new card 2. File a police report - this is required for benefit replacement 3. Contact your county CalFresh office to report the theft and begin the benefit replacement process The good news is that California has a process to replace stolen benefits, but you need to act quickly. The sooner you report it, the better chance you have of getting your benefits back.

OMG THIS HAPPENED TO ME LAST MONTH!!!! didnt get my money back for 3 WEEKS and had to use food banks. call county asap and make sure u say its an EMERGENCY so they flag ur case. also check ur transactions on the EBT app to see where they spent it, mine was all at stores in a diff city

This is happening everywhere in California right now. Thieves are using skimmers at stores and ATMs to copy card information. When you call, make sure you request a "theft replacement benefit" specifically. They might try to tell you it's not possible, but under California law SB-160 and AB-1614, they MUST replace stolen benefits. Also, for the future - never use your EBT card at ATMs if possible, and always check for skimmers (wiggle the card reader before inserting). And spend your benefits within the first week of getting them - thieves tend to strike right after benefits are loaded.

I work at a community org that helps with these cases. You need to file a form called CF 303E "EBT Benefits Theft Report" with your county office. But the frustrating part is just getting through to someone on the phone. Most people give up after being on hold for hours. I've been recommending Claimyr to my clients recently - it's a service that calls the county office for you and gets you connected to a real person without the wait. Check out their site at claimyr.com or see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. One of my clients got through in 15 minutes after waiting 3 days trying to call herself. Once you get through, be sure to ask for an expedited replacement since this is an emergency food situation.

happened to my sister last month too. did u do anything unusual lately? she thinks she got skimmed at the 7-11 on maple ave, stopped using her card there and no more problems

I'm so sick of this system! They make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to talk to anyone when there's a problem, then they act like it's OUR fault our benefits get stolen! My cousin had $1,200 stolen and they tried to say she was trafficking her benefits!!!! Had to get a lawyer involved before they finally replaced them after TWO MONTHS!!! The whole system is BROKEN and they don't care because we're poor. Rich people get their credit cards refunded same day when fraud happens, but we have to jump through 500 hoops and starve while waiting. It's disgusting!!!!

anyone else notice they always seem to get stolen right after deposits hit? i think its an inside job lol

UPDATE: I want to thank everyone for the advice. I followed the steps and: 1. Called EBT customer service and reported the theft - they deactivated my card 2. Filed a police report online (got a case #) 3. Used that Claimyr service someone suggested and actually got through to my county worker in 20 minutes! The county worker was actually really helpful once I got through. She confirmed that California DOES replace stolen benefits now and helped me submit the CF 303E form. She said I should get emergency replacement benefits in 3-5 business days and a new EBT card in the mail within a week. She also told me how to set up a PIN on the EBT app that's required for each purchase? Apparently that's new and helps prevent theft. I'm still stressed but feeling much better knowing this should get resolved!