Suspicious call asking for EBT card number - CalFresh fraud attempt?
I just got off a call that seemed weird and I'm freaking out. Someone called saying they were from the CalFresh office and needed to verify my EBT card number for 'system maintenance.' I was on hold with the county forever before this, so I thought maybe they were calling me back, but something felt off. They asked for my full 16-digit card number and the PIN! I gave the first 8 digits before realizing this might be a scam and hung up. Has anyone experienced this? Are CalFresh workers ever supposed to ask for your full card info? Should I request a new card now? I'm worried they might try to steal my benefits and I only have $342 left until my next deposit on the 10th.
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Lucas Kowalski
OMG NEVER GIVE YOUR CARD INFO!!! CalFresh workers will NEVER ask for your full EBT card number or PIN over the phone!! This is 100% a scam. Call the number on the back of your EBT card RIGHT NOW and report it as potential fraud and request a new card. Better safe than sorry.
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Emma Bianchi
•Oh no, I knew something felt wrong! Just called and they're sending me a new card. They put a hold on my current one. Rep said they've been getting lots of these calls lately targeting CalFresh recipients. Thanks for confirming my suspicions!
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Olivia Martinez
This is definitely a scam attempt. CalFresh eligibility workers don't handle EBT card maintenance - that's handled by a completely separate system. County workers will verify your identity using things like your case number, date of birth, address, last four of your social, etc. - never your full EBT card number and ABSOLUTELY never your PIN. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Call the EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) to report potential fraud 2. Request a new card with a new number 3. Change your PIN 4. Check your balance regularly to ensure no unauthorized transactions Also, report this to your county office so they can alert others. These scams tend to target multiple people in the same area.
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Charlie Yang
•this happened to my neighbor last month!! they drained her whole account before she realized what happened. took 3 weeks to get the money back :( good thing u caught it
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Grace Patel
I got a similar call last week! They said they needed to 'update my card' for the new benefit system. When I asked why they couldn't just do it on their end they got all pushy. I hung up and called the actual EBT number.
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ApolloJackson
•There's been a major increase in these scam attempts targeting public benefits recipients. Always remember: government workers will never call you out of the blue asking for your full card details. If you need to contact your CalFresh worker about anything (including confirming if a call was legitimate), instead of waiting on hold forever, you might want to try Claimyr.com. They'll hold your place in line and call you back when a real worker is available. I used it last month and it saved me hours of waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Isabella Russo
thats DEFINITLY a scam!!!! my cousin works for calfresh and she says real workers NEVER need your pin or full card number. they have other ways to find your account. be supr careful, these scammers are getting more convincing nowadays. call EBT custmr service asap!!!!
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Emma Bianchi
•Just got off the phone with EBT customer service. They said these scammers are specifically targeting people right after they've been on hold with the county office. Somehow they know when people are expecting a callback!
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Rajiv Kumar
Yep, classic scam. I used to work at a bank and saw this kind of thing all the time. Government benefits are huge targets for fraudsters because once the money is gone, it can take weeks to get it back. Even though it wasn't your fault, the investigation process can be slow. One thing to know: if your benefits do get stolen, file a police report right away. You'll need that documentation for the claim process. Also, never give out your PIN to ANYONE - not even real CalFresh workers have any legitimate reason to ask for it.
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Grace Patel
•What do u do if u already gave out ur info? Asking for my sister who might have fallen for this last week...
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Olivia Martinez
If someone has already given out their card information, they should: 1. Immediately call EBT customer service (1-877-328-9677) 2. Report the card as compromised 3. Request an immediate hold on the account 4. Ask for a new card to be issued 5. File a benefit theft claim if any funds were taken 6. Get a case number for the report 7. File a police report for identity theft For all CalFresh recipients: Set up EBT text alerts so you get notified instantly of any transactions. This allows you to catch unauthorized use immediately.
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Grace Patel
•Thanks! I'll tell her to do this right now. Didn't know about the text alerts - that's super helpful.
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Emma Bianchi
UPDATE: Just checked and my benefits are still there! 😅 The new card should arrive in 7-10 business days. The EBT customer service rep was super helpful and said they've had a lot of these scam calls lately. She also suggested I set up text alerts for any transactions so I can catch anything suspicious right away. Thanks everyone for the quick advice - really saved me from possibly losing my food money for the month!
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