Money missing from CalWORKs EBT card - shows 'US Bank withdrawal' I never made!

omg this happened to my cousin last month!! someone skimmed her card at a sketchy atm. u gotta report it ASAP to both the EBT hotline AND ur worker. the EBT ppl can freeze ur card but county decides if u get $ back

This is EXACTLY why I always transfer my Cash Aid to my bank account the SECOND it hits my EBT card!!! The system is totally BROKEN and the county doesn't care. I had $280 stolen last year and it took FOUR MONTHS to get it back. FOUR MONTHS while my worker kept saying "we're investigating" while my kids went without. You HAVE to file a police report first, then call EBT customer service to report fraud (1-877-328-9677), then contact your worker with the police report number. Keep EVERY piece of paper and follow up DAILY.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, benefit theft is increasingly common with CalWORKs Cash Aid. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call the EBT Customer Service (877-328-9677) immediately to report the theft and get your card canceled/replaced 2. File a police report - this is required for the replacement process 3. Contact your county worker and submit form CW 2215 "Request for Replacement of Cash Aid Benefits" 4. Gather any evidence you have that you weren't the one who made the withdrawal Since the 2022 changes to California law, counties can now replace stolen Cash Aid in many circumstances. The process takes time but is possible. Make sure to check if the withdrawal location was somewhere you've never been - that's helpful evidence.

Definitely call your worker directly rather than just messaging through BenefitsCal. These theft cases need immediate attention, and messages can take days to get responses. The replacement timeframe varies by county, but typically takes 30-45 days if approved. One important tip: when you call your worker, document everything. Write down the date, time, who you spoke with, and what they said. If possible, follow up with an email through BenefitsCal summarizing your conversation. This creates a paper trail that can be valuable if there are delays.

OMG WAIT check all stores near ANY us bank ATM where u shop!! my benefits got stolen and turns out someone put a hidden camera at the 7-11 atm near my house to see ppl put in there pins then they make fake cards!! the police found it but i never got my $$ back. switch ur PIN # now even if u get a new card!!!

this is why i pulled all my cash out as soon as my benefits hit last month lol. cant trust these ebt cards no more! heard theres some group targeting us bank atms where lots of ebt users go

If u go to ur county office in person with the police report they sometimes can do emergency replacement faster. I lost $340 in November and got emergency replacement in 10 days because I needed it for rent. Bring ur kids with u when u go so they can see its a real emergency. Also they told me never use the card at gas stations or outside ATMs cause those get skimmed the most. Only use it inside actual banks or walmart customer service desk.

They had me fill out the form there. They gave me back the full amount, but I had to show my rent statement to prove I needed emergency help. My worker said they're getting like 50 theft reports a week now so they're backed up. Definitely bring proof of any bills you need to pay with that money. And ya I had to wait 3 hours but it was worth it to talk to someone in person.

Just to add some important information here: California enacted a law (Assembly Bill 1326) that requires counties to reimburse Cash Aid that was stolen electronically. However, you must report it within 10 days of discovering the theft, and you need that police report. Also, check if any weird transactions happened before the big withdrawal - sometimes thieves test the card with a small purchase before taking everything. This can be evidence that the card was compromised. When you get your new card, remember to: 1. Set up text/email alerts for all transactions 2. Change your PIN to something not related to your personal info (birthday, address, etc.) 3. Consider transferring benefits to a bank account with better fraud protection Hope this helps and that you get your money back quickly!

my case worker told me they replacing everyones ebt cards next year with new ones that have better security chips in them... but thats not helping anybody now!!