CalWORKs EBT account theft - money disappeared overnight, what to do?

This happened to me last month!! Someone skimmed my card somewhere and made withdrawals while I was asleep. You need to file a police report ASAP - take it to your county office along with the benefit theft claim form (it's called the CW 2215). The county worker told me that CalWORKs will usually replace stolen benefits within 10 business days IF you file a police report and the benefit theft form. Also, get a new EBT card immediately and change your PIN!!!

skimmers are everywhere these days. happened to my sister too. make sure u cover the keypad when u put in ur pin at stores

I work with CalWORKs recipients at a community organization, and unfortunately benefit theft is becoming more common. Here's what you need to do: 1. File a police report immediately 2. Call the EBT customer service again and specifically request they flag your account for fraud and issue a new card 3. Complete the CW 2215 Benefit Theft Report form 4. Submit both the police report and the CW 2215 to your county office (in person if possible) California has recently improved their benefit theft replacement policies. If you follow these steps, you should get your benefits back within 10 business days in most counties. Also, go to BenefitsCal.com and change your online account password just to be safe.

If you need to get through to your CalWORKs worker quickly, try using Claimyr.com - it's what I used when my benefits got cut off suddenly. They keep calling the county office for you until they get through, then call you and connect you directly to a worker. Saved me hours of being on hold. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE In benefit theft cases, you really need to talk to someone ASAP so they can start the investigation process.

THE COUNTIES DONT CARE!!!! this happened to me TWICE last year and they took SIXTY DAYS to replace my money the first time and DENIED my claim the second time saying i didnt have enough proof!!!! they expect us to somehow pay rent and feed our kids while they take their sweet time "investigating" 🤬 the system is BROKEN

Make sure to also contact your local DPSS Fraud Investigation Unit directly. I had my benefits stolen in January and I called them directly after filing my police report. They were actually really helpful and started the investigation immediately instead of waiting for my worker to process it. Got my money back in 8 days. Also, once you get your new card, never use it at gas station ATMs - that's where most skimmers are installed.

this happened to my cousin she said they put cameras on atms to watch ppl put in there pins then they make fake cards somehow

Update: Yes they did replace my benefits! It took 9 days from when I submitted everything. One tip - when you file the police report, make sure it specifically mentions EBT benefit theft. Some police officers don't know how to categorize it properly and that can cause delays. And make copies of EVERYTHING before you submit it!

i got my ebt stolen one time and i never got the money back but that was in 2021 maybe its better now

One important thing to mention - California passed a new law (AB 75) that improved benefit theft protections. The process is much better than it was in 2021-2022. Make sure that when you talk to your worker, you specifically mention you're filing under the new benefit theft replacement process. Some workers aren't fully trained on the updated procedures yet.