Someone made CalWORKs cash withdrawals in another city with my EBT card - but I still have my card?

omg the same thing happened to me last month!!! someone stole like $440 from my cash benefits at a store in fresno when i live in oakland. i still had my card too. turned out they made a copy of it somehow. its called card skimming i think. u need to file a theft report with the county RIGHT AWAY like within 10 days of it happening or they might not give u the money back

This is called EBT card skimming or cloning. Criminals place hidden devices on ATMs or point-of-sale terminals that copy your card information, then they create duplicate cards. You need to file an EBT benefit theft report with your county ASAP - you have 90 days from the date of the theft to report it to potentially get reimbursed. Call your county welfare department, tell them you need to file an "EBT Cash Aid theft report" specifically. You'll need to provide the date, time, and amount of the fraudulent transactions. Also, when you get your new card, always check ATMs for anything suspicious before inserting your card (loose parts, unusual attachments). And try to use ATMs inside banks rather than standalone ones when possible.

I work with benefit recipients, and I can tell you EBT theft is unfortunately becoming more common. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. If you haven't already, report the theft to your county welfare office 2. Complete the "EBT Benefit Theft Report" form (some counties do this by phone, others require you to come in) 3. Provide any evidence you have (transaction receipts, etc.) 4. Ask for emergency benefits replacement if you need money for immediate essentials The county is required to investigate and make a decision within 10 business days. If approved, benefits are usually restored within 2-5 business days after that. If denied, you have the right to appeal. For prevention, always cover the keypad when entering your PIN, check for skimming devices, and change your PIN frequently.

I couldn't reach anyone at the county when my foodstamps got stolen (different benefit but same dept handles it). The phone lines were a nightmare - busy signals, disconnects, being on hold for literally hours. I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the county in like 20 minutes. They call the county for you and then call you when they have a worker on the line. Saved me so much stress. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE

THE COUNTIES DONT CARE ABOUT US!! I had $720 in cash aid stolen and they DENIED my claim saying i mustve shared my PIN!!! I NEVER shared it with ANYONE! These theives have sophisticated ways to steal our info and the system punishes US for it. Good luck getting your money back, the whole systems rigged against us.

if u do go to ur county office bring all ur bank statements and any evidence u have. my friend had this happen and she took pictures of her card to prove she had it the whole time plus her work schedule showing she was at work when the withdrawals happened in another city. the more proof u have the better

I want to update everyone - I just got back from the county office. Filed the EBT Benefit Theft Report and they said I should hear back within 10 business days. The worker was actually really understanding and said they've seen a lot of this lately. She recommended I use the BenefitsCal app to track my benefits and turn on notifications for any transactions. I set up a new PIN for my replacement card that's totally different from anything I've used before. Fingers crossed I get the money back soon. Thanks everyone for your help!