WARNING: EBT card scam texts claiming your CalFresh card is locked - don't call back!

Ughhh these scammers are the WORST! I got one of these last month but mine said my account was 'suspended' and I needed to call right away. I almost fell for it because I was waiting for my recertification to go through and was paranoid about my benefits. Thankfully I called the actual EBT customer service number on the back of my card instead. The rep told me they've been getting tons of calls about these scam texts. NEVER call back numbers from texts claiming to be CalFresh!

Smart move calling the actual number on your card! That's exactly what we should do if we're ever unsure. Did the rep say anything about how they're trying to stop these scams?

omg i got one 2 weeks ago!!! it freaked me out cuz i just got approved and thought maybe i did something wrong with my application... my boyfriend said it was probably fake but i was still worried. thx for posting this

This is unfortunately becoming very common. The official term for this is \

lol \

Yes, you can report these scam attempts! The California Department of Social Services recommends forwarding the suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM), and you can also report them to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The more reports they receive, the better they can track and potentially shut down these scammers.

Thank you for sharing this warning! These scams tend to increase around the beginning of the month when benefits are issued. The scammers know people are checking their EBT balances and are more likely to respond to messages about their accounts.\n\nI work with several CalFresh clients who have fallen victim to these scams. Once scammers get your card number and PIN, they can drain your benefits immediately. And unfortunately, unlike with bank fraud, getting stolen EBT benefits back is extremely difficult and time-consuming.\n\nAnother red flag to watch for: scam texts often have spelling errors or unusual wording. Legitimate communications from CalFresh/EBT customer service are professionally written.

That's a great point about the timing! I did notice I got the text right after benefits were loaded. These scammers have it down to a science, which makes it extra dangerous for people who really rely on their benefits. Is there any protection if someone does get scammed? Or once the money's gone, it's gone?

Unfortunately, it's very difficult to recover stolen benefits. You would need to report it to both the EBT customer service and your county office, file a police report, and request a benefit replacement. But the process can take months, requires substantial documentation, and has no guarantee of success. Prevention is really the best protection here.

I got the same exact text!!! But I actually called the number back because I was worried 😟 The person asked for my card number and PIN to \

Don't feel bad, these scammers are super manipulative. They know exactly what to say to scare people. The fact that you caught on and called the real number is what matters! Sometimes I think the county should send more alerts about these scams so people know what to watch out for.

When I was trying to reach my county worker about a similar scam text, I was on hold FOREVER. Finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the CalFresh office in like 15 minutes. They call and wait on hold for you then connect you when a worker picks up. Saved me so much time and stress. If anyone needs to report these scams to your county worker, might be worth checking out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

Oh wow, I've never heard of this but it sounds super helpful. I tried calling my county office last month about my SAR7 and gave up after being on hold for 45 minutes. Definitely going to check this out next time I need to reach someone!

does it cost money? i hate waiting on hold but cant afford to pay just to talk to my worker

It does cost something but honestly was worth it to me after trying to get through for days. I was worried about my benefits getting cut off if I couldn't talk to someone about the verification documents they needed. The video explains everything better than I can.

my cousin got her benefits stolen last month from one of these scams, they took all $800 that was supposed to feed her kids for the month!!! she had to go to food banks while fighting with the county to get it back. these people are the lowest of the low going after folks just trying to feed their families 😡

That's horrible! Did she ever get her benefits back? I'm so worried about this happening to someone in our community who can't afford to lose even one month of food assistance.

she got like half of it back after 6 weeks but they said they couldnt prove the rest was stolen vs her using it. she had to fill out so many forms and make like 10 calls. system is broken.

Adding some additional information that might be helpful:\n\n1. CalFresh/EBT customer service will NEVER ask for your full card number and PIN in the same conversation\n2. Official communications about your case usually come through BenefitsCal messages or USPS mail\n3. When benefits are actually suspended, you receive a Notice of Action by mail with appeal rights information\n4. If you receive a suspicious text, don't click any links or call the number provided\n5. Report the number to your cell phone provider as spam\n\nThe California EBT customer service number is 1-877-328-9677. Save this in your phone so you always know which number is legitimate.

This is super helpful information! I've saved the real number in my phone now. Do you know if they're doing anything system-wide to prevent these scams? Seems like they should be able to send out mass texts warning people or something.

Thanks for the heads up! I got a similar text last week and reported it to my county worker. She said they're seeing a huge increase in these scams lately. The tricky thing is they often use

This is such an important warning! I actually work at a community organization that helps people with CalFresh applications, and we've been seeing so many of these scam reports lately. One thing I always tell clients is to set up text alerts through the official EBT app or website if they want legitimate notifications about their account. That way you know what real communications look like versus these fake ones. Also, if anyone ever feels unsure about a message they received, our office is always happy to help verify if it's legitimate - better safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your benefits!

Wow, thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and warnings! I'm relatively new to CalFresh and honestly had no idea these scams were so common. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening. I've saved the official EBT customer service number in my phone and I'm definitely going to set up those official text alerts that Talia mentioned. It's so scary that scammers are targeting people who are already struggling to put food on the table. The fact that it's so hard to get stolen benefits back makes this even more infuriating. I'll definitely be sharing this information with my neighbors who also receive CalFresh - we need to look out for each other in our community!

Thank you so much for posting this warning! As someone who just started receiving CalFresh benefits a few months ago, I had no idea these scams were so prevalent. I haven't gotten one of these texts yet, but now I know exactly what to watch out for. It's really disturbing that scammers are specifically targeting people who rely on food assistance - like we don't already have enough stress in our lives! I've screenshot your post to share with some friends who also receive benefits. The tips about the real customer service number and reporting scams are super valuable. It's communities like this that help keep us all safe and informed. Thank you again for looking out for everyone!

This is such crucial information - thank you for sharing! I'm fairly new to the CalFresh program and honestly didn't realize how targeted these scams have become. Reading through everyone's experiences is both eye-opening and terrifying. The fact that scammers are timing these texts right when benefits are loaded shows how calculated they are. I've now saved the real EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) in my contacts and bookmarked the FTC reporting site. It's absolutely disgusting that people would target families who are already struggling to put food on the table. I'm going to share this thread with my sister who also receives benefits - she tends to panic about anything related to her account and might fall for one of these scams. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and resources. This community really does help keep each other safe!

This is exactly the kind of warning our community needs! I'm pretty new to receiving CalFresh benefits and honestly had no clue these scams were so widespread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been really eye-opening - especially the part about scammers timing these texts right when benefits are loaded. That's just so calculated and cruel. I've saved the real EBT customer service number in my phone and I'm definitely going to be more cautious about any unexpected texts claiming to be from CalFresh. It's heartbreaking that people would target families who are already struggling, but I'm grateful we have this community to warn each other and share resources. Thank you for taking the time to post this warning - it could literally save someone's grocery money for the month!

As someone who just started receiving CalFresh a few weeks ago, this post is incredibly helpful and honestly pretty scary! I had no idea these scams were so common and targeted. The detail about them timing the texts right when benefits are loaded is particularly disturbing - it shows how much these criminals study our community to find the best times to strike. I've immediately saved the real EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) in my phone and forwarded this thread to my roommate who also gets benefits. It's disgusting that people would prey on families just trying to put food on the table, but I'm so grateful for community members like you who take the time to warn others. This kind of information sharing could literally be the difference between someone having groceries for the month or not. Thank you for looking out for all of us!

Thank you so much for posting this warning! I'm pretty new to CalFresh (just got approved a couple months ago) and honestly had no idea these scams were so widespread and targeted. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both educational and terrifying. The fact that these scammers are timing their attacks right when benefits are loaded shows just how calculated and cruel they are. I've saved the official EBT customer service number in my phone and I'm definitely going to be extra cautious about any texts claiming to be from CalFresh. It's absolutely disgusting that people would prey on families who are already struggling to put food on the table, but I'm so grateful we have this community looking out for each other. I'll be sharing this information with my family members who also receive benefits - we need to stick together and protect each other from these predators!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just started receiving CalFresh benefits about a month ago and honestly had no idea these scams were even a thing. This is terrifying but so important to know about. The fact that they're timing these texts right when benefits get loaded is absolutely evil - these scammers really know how to prey on people when they're most vulnerable. I've immediately saved the real EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) in my phone and I'm going to download the official EBT app to set up legitimate alerts. It makes me so angry that criminals are targeting families who are just trying to feed themselves, but I'm incredibly grateful for this community that looks out for each other. I'm definitely going to share this warning with my neighbors who also receive benefits - we need to stick together and protect each other from these predators. Thank you Mei for taking the time to warn everyone about this!

Wow, this thread has been such a lifesaver! I just got approved for CalFresh about three weeks ago and had absolutely no clue these scams were targeting our community. Reading everyone's experiences is honestly both terrifying and really eye-opening. The timing aspect that people keep mentioning really bothers me - like these scammers are literally studying when we're most vulnerable to strike. That's just so calculated and disgusting. I've saved the official EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) in my phone and I'm definitely downloading that official app to set up real notifications so I know what legitimate communications look like. It's so messed up that people would prey on families who are already struggling just to put food on the table, but I'm really grateful we have this community looking out for each other. I'm going to share this whole thread with my cousin who also just started getting benefits - she's not super tech-savvy and might not realize these texts are fake. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and warnings - this could literally save someone's grocery money for the entire month!

This is such an important warning - thank you for sharing! I'm pretty new to CalFresh myself (got approved about 6 weeks ago) and honestly had no idea these scams were so targeted and widespread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both incredibly helpful and really disturbing. The fact that scammers are timing these texts right when benefits get loaded shows how calculated and predatory they are - it's like they're studying our most vulnerable moments to strike. I've immediately saved the real EBT customer service number (1-877-328-9677) in my phone and I'm going to download that official EBT app that Talia mentioned to set up legitimate alerts. It's absolutely sickening that criminals are targeting families who are already struggling just to put food on the table, but I'm so grateful for this community that looks out for each other. I'm definitely going to share this thread with my brother who also receives benefits - he tends to be pretty trusting and might not realize these texts are fake. The point about how hard it is to recover stolen benefits really drives home why prevention is so critical. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and resources - this kind of community support could literally be the difference between someone having groceries or not!