CalWORKs Cash Aid disappeared - Benefits theft from EBT?! Took 3 months to get money back
Has anyone else had their CalWORKs money stolen right off their EBT card??? I'm beyond frustrated right now. In February, I went to check my account and ALL my cash aid was GONE - I had over $780 that completely disappeared overnight! I called BofA EBT customer service right away and filed a theft report. They told me this happens sometimes with "card skimming" whatever that means. I reported it to my worker the SAME DAY and filled out all their forms. They kept saying "we're investigating" but I had BILLS TO PAY!! My worker just told me to "be patient" but my landlord wasn't being patient about rent!! I didn't get a single penny back until the end of April - almost 3 MONTHS later!!! How am I supposed to survive with no money for 3 months?? I only ever used my card at Bank of America ATMs and Walmart for groceries. Has this happened to anyone else? Did it take forever to get your money back too? I've heard some ppl are now getting their benefits through direct deposit instead of EBT cards - is that safer? I'm terrified of this happening again next month.
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Keisha Williams
This is happening a lot with EBT cards lately. Scammers are putting skimming devices on ATMs and store card readers that steal your card number and PIN when you use it. It's not just happening with CalWORKs - people on CalFresh and other benefits are getting hit too. Here's what you need to know: 1. You did the right thing by reporting it immediately 2. Always check for anything strange on the card reader before using it (loose parts, weird attachments) 3. Cover your PIN when typing it 4. YES! Direct deposit to your own bank account is much safer - ask your worker about enrolling 5. Change your PIN frequently The bad news is that BofA and the county are very slow to return stolen benefits. 2-3 months is unfortunately common. Some counties are better than others about providing emergency assistance while you wait for the investigation.
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Yara Nassar
•omg thank u so much for explaining this! nobody at the county told me WHY this happened or how to stop it from happening again. Im literally checking my balance everyday now paranoid its gonna disappear again. Do you know if they give you emergency cash while your waiting for the investigation? my worker never mentioned that and we ended up having to borrow money from family which was so embarrassing
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Paolo Ricci
OMG THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED 2 ME!!! But in March not Feb. Used my card at walmart self checkout and next morning ALL MY $$ GONE!!! took them 10 WEEKS to give it back to me and my worker was so useless kept saying "its with the fraud department" like that helps me pay my bills?? i asked for emergency aid they said NO bc i already got my "regular benefit" even tho it was STOLEN!! had to take out a payday loan and now im in debt. the system is BROKEN!!
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Amina Toure
•I'm really sorry you both went through this. Unfortunately, benefit theft is on the rise for CalWORKs recipients. The county should have offered emergency assistance while your claim was being investigated. If they didn't, you can file for a state hearing to dispute that decision. You had a right to replacement benefits while they investigated. As for protecting yourself going forward - changing to direct deposit with your own bank account completely eliminates this risk since you'd never need to use the EBT card for Cash Aid. You'd still need the EBT card for CalFresh if you receive that too, but at least your cash wouldn't be at risk.
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Oliver Zimmermann
This has been happening WAY too much lately with CalWORKs benefits. The counties know it's a problem but aren't doing enough to help victims. A few tips I've learned working with families in your situation: 1. You can request emergency replacement benefits while your theft case is investigated - this is not automatic, you have to specifically ask 2. If your worker says no to emergency aid, ask to speak to a supervisor and cite MPP Section 44-315.3 which covers immediate need payments 3. Switch to direct deposit if possible - much safer than EBT cards 4. Never use your EBT card at gas stations - these are common skimming locations 5. If using ATMs, only use ones inside actual bank branches, not standalone machines 6. File a police report in addition to the BofA report - sometimes this speeds up the investigation
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Yara Nassar
•wait WHAT?? they never told me i could get emergency replacement benefits! my worker just said i had to wait for the investigation to finish. i have three kids and we barely made it through those months. is there a way to file a complaint about this? they should have told me!
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CosmicCommander
my cosuins sister got her calworks stolen 2 time in the same month!!! they told her it was from using her card at a gas station ATM so dont use those anymore just saying
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Natasha Volkova
I went through the exact same nightmare last year. After 6 weeks of getting nowhere with the county, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual worker within 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE Using Claimyr, I finally got through to someone who could tell me exactly what was happening with my theft investigation and was able to process emergency benefits while I waited. Seriously saved my sanity after weeks of automated messages and disconnections.
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Javier Torres
•Does that actually work? I've been trying to call my worker about a different issue with my SAR7 for weeks and keep getting disconnected or put on hold for 2+ hours before I have to hang up for work.
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Natasha Volkova
•Yes it totally works! I was skeptical at first but after trying to get through for weeks on my own I was desperate. Got connected to a real person in about 15 minutes who actually helped solve my problem. Way better than waiting on hold forever just to get disconnected.
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Emma Davis
the whole EBT system is a JOKE they know these cards get skimmed all the time but dont care cuz its not their money disappearing!!!! i switched to direct deposit last year and its 100000x better. take ur money OUT of that EBT card system ASAP!!!
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Yara Nassar
•im definitely gonna ask about direct deposit at my next recertification appointment. i cant go through this again, we almost got evicted waiting for them to give our money back
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Amina Toure
I work with CalWORKs recipients facing benefit theft issues, and unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly common. Here's what's important to know: 1. California law (AB 1614) now requires counties to provide replacement benefits within 10 days of your theft report 2. You may be eligible for expedited replacement under the "immediate need" provisions 3. Direct deposit is definitely more secure than EBT cards 4. When you report theft to BofA, always get a case number 5. Document everything - names of workers you spoke to, dates, what was discussed Many counties are still not properly implementing the new replacement requirements. If you're denied immediate replacement of stolen benefits, you can request a state hearing (you have 90 days from when benefits were denied).
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Yara Nassar
•THANK YOU for this info! No one told me about the 10-day requirement! Is this a new law? Because they definitely made me wait almost 3 months. Do you know if I can still file something even though I eventually got my money back? I had to take out high-interest loans to cover bills while waiting.
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Amina Toure
•Yes, AB 1614 went into effect January 1, 2025. If your theft occurred in February 2025, the 10-day replacement requirement would apply. You can file a state hearing request for the delay in replacement (up to 90 days from when you received your benefits back). You could potentially be eligible for compensation for damages caused by the county's failure to follow regulations. Request your case notes through a form called "SAR 27" to get documentation of when you reported the theft and how the county handled it.
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Paolo Ricci
Dont even get me started on this!!! They act like were lying when we report theft!!! My worker basically accused me of making it up!!! Im so done with the whole system!!
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Keisha Williams
Here are some practical steps to protect yourself going forward: 1. Switch to direct deposit if your county offers it (most do now) 2. If you must use the EBT card: - Change your PIN monthly - Check for skimmers before inserting card (wiggle the card reader) - Only use bank branch ATMs (not standalone ones) - Never use at gas stations or convenience stores - Consider withdrawing all cash on benefit day 3. If theft happens again: - Report to BofA immediately (same day) - Report to county worker same day - Specifically request "immediate need" replacement - Cite AB 1614 about the 10-day replacement requirement - Document everyone you speak with 4. Keep checking your EBT account regularly even if you think you've emptied it
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Yara Nassar
•This is super helpful!! No one at the county office gave me ANY of this info. All they said was "don't share your PIN" which I NEVER did! I'm going to ask about direct deposit this week. Do you know if there's a specific form I need to fill out for that?
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Keisha Williams
•You'll need to fill out form CW 8 (Direct Deposit Authorization) and provide a voided check or a direct deposit form from your bank. Your worker should have this form, but if they don't, you can find it online by searching "California CW 8 form". Not all counties process these quickly, so follow up if you don't see action within a couple weeks.
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