CalWORKs EBT card deactivated due to fraud attempt - SHARE your theft prevention stories!

You're lucky they caught it in time! When my benefits got stolen last year, it took almost 3 months to get my money back through the EBT theft claim process. The county makes you fill out a form declaring exactly which transactions weren't yours, then you have to submit a police report too. Make sure you change your PIN to something that isn't obvious (not your birth year or last 4 of SSN). And NEVER give your card info to anyone who calls/texts claiming to be from CalWORKs - they will never ask for that info over the phone.

this happens so much now its ridiculous!!! my sisters benefits got stolen twice and the 2nd time they never even gave her money back said she was 'negligent' with her card which is BS. they make it impossible to talk to anybody about it too, I spent 4 hrs on hold last month trying to help her and NEVER got through. the whole system is designed to make us give up

I work at a community resource center and we've seen a huge increase in EBT theft cases. Here's what you need to know: 1. Always check your balance weekly (not just monthly) 2. Never use your card at ATMs that look suspicious or have loose card readers 3. Cover the keypad when entering your PIN 4. If your benefits are stolen, file a claim immediately using the EBT-2259 form 5. File a police report (required for claims) 6. Keep checking your balance because sometimes thieves will take small amounts hoping you won't notice Unfortunately, replacement policies have gotten stricter. Not everyone gets their stolen benefits back anymore, especially if it's not reported within 10 days.

im so glad u posted this cause i been having weird things happen with my card too. yesterday it said "not authorized" at the store but had money on it. gonna call tomorrow now. does anyone know if benifitscal website shows all transactions or just the balance?

If you need to reach the EBT customer service line about suspected fraud, use Claimyr.com before you waste hours on hold. I had to file a theft claim last month and was getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours each time. Used Claimyr and they called me back when a rep was actually available. Saved me literally an entire day of waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

This happened to me last month but they DID steal $342 from my card before it got deactivated. I filed a claim right away but so far they haven't decided if they'll replace it. My worker said they're being really strict about replacements lately because theft is so common. I'm worried sick because that was all I had for my kids this month. The worker asked me all these questions like "did you share your PIN" or "did you lose your card" trying to find reasons to deny my claim. Like no, I was just using it at regular stores!

Im so confused bc I thought CalWORKs is different from CalFresh? My friend had her food stamps stolen but I didnt know they could steal the cash aid part too? Do they come on same card?

UPDATE: I just got a call from my caseworker with more info. Apparently they caught the person INSIDE THE STORE trying to use a cloned version of my card! That's how they were able to shut it down so fast. I didn't even know they could clone these cards?! My worker said I should opt into text alerts for any transactions over $25 moving forward. Didn't even know that was an option but I signed up right away.