Suspicious EBT PIN change before CalFresh deposit - urgent help needed!
I'm freaking out right now!! Just checked my EBT account online and it shows a PIN change happened on 11/30, but I definitely didn't change it! My CalFresh benefits are supposed to be deposited tomorrow (the 2nd) and I'm terrified someone hacked my account and will steal my benefits as soon as they drop. Has anyone dealt with this before? Is this just some weird system update thing that shows as a "PIN change" or should I immediately change my PIN tonight? I have three kids to feed and can't afford to lose these benefits. Would calling EBT customer service at night even help or are they closed? So stressed!
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Freya Andersen
omg this happened to my cousin last yr!! def change ur pin ASAP!!!! once the money is gone its like impossible to get back
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Ravi Choudhury
•Oh no, seriously?? Did your cousin get their benefits stolen? I'm gonna try changing my PIN right now then.
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Omar Farouk
This is definitely concerning and you should take action immediately. Call the EBT customer service line at 1-877-328-9677 - they're available 24/7 for issues like this. Change your PIN right away before your benefits are deposited. When you call, also ask them to document the unauthorized PIN change so there's a record if something happens. After changing your PIN, check if your address on file is still correct. Sometimes fraudsters change both PIN and address to get replacement cards sent to them. You should also contact your county CalFresh office tomorrow morning to report this suspicious activity.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thank you so much! I just called the EBT hotline and changed my PIN. They couldn't tell me who changed it before but said there was definitely a change on 11/30. So scary. I'll call my county office first thing tomorrow like you suggested.
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CosmicCadet
This happened to me last year! The EBT website showed a PIN change but when I called they said it was just a system update that incorrectly showed as a PIN change. But definitely call to be safe!!!!
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Ravi Choudhury
•That's actually really good to know. The customer service rep I just spoke with didn't mention that possibility. Maybe it was just a glitch? But I changed my PIN anyway just to be safe.
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Chloe Harris
I work with CalFresh recipients and unfortunately PIN fraud has been increasing. Along with changing your PIN immediately, here are some additional steps: 1. Request transaction history to see if any suspicious activity happened 2. Ask if they can flag your account for extra monitoring 3. If you have the CalFresh mobile app, change your login credentials there too 4. Consider requesting a new card entirely with a different card number The good news is if benefits are stolen, there is now a benefit theft replacement program, but it's much better to prevent the theft in the first place. Document everything carefully.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thank you for all these suggestions! I didn't know about the benefit theft replacement program - that's at least somewhat reassuring. I've already changed my PIN and will call tomorrow about the rest of your suggestions. This is so stressful.
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Diego Mendoza
Ugh the CalFresh system is SO broken. This happened to me THREE TIMES last year and I spent HOURS on hold trying to get through to someone who could help. The county workers never seem to care how devastating it is to lose your food money! I eventually had to physically go into the office because the phone lines are completely useless. They're always "experiencing higher than normal call volume" 🙄
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Anastasia Popova
•If you're having trouble getting through to your CalFresh office, I'd recommend using Claimyr. It helped me bypass the hold times when I had a similar urgent situation with my EBT card. They basically call and wait on hold for you, then call you when a real person answers. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or visit claimyr.com. Definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone urgently about benefit security issues.
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Sean Flanagan
i think sometimes the EBT system does maintenance and it shows up weird like that. mine once showed a balance change that didnt really happen. but better safe than sorry with ur food money!!
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Ravi Choudhury
UPDATE: Called my county worker this morning and they confirmed there's been a bunch of reports about the EBT system showing phantom PIN changes from 11/30! Apparently it was a system update that incorrectly displayed as PIN changes to users. My benefits were deposited normally today and I can access them with my PIN. So relieved!!! Still glad I changed my PIN just to be safe though. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
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Chloe Harris
•Thanks for updating! This is really helpful information. I'm going to share this with other clients who might be seeing the same thing. Glad everything worked out with your benefits.
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Freya Andersen
•phew!!! glad ur money is safe!!
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CosmicCadet
Great news! For anyone reading this later - always better to be safe than sorry with EBT security! I always change my PIN every few months just to be extra careful with my foodstamps.
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