EDD Money Network card fraud - $630 stolen, what's the recovery process?

I went through this exact situation last month. Someone somehow cloned my card and took out $850 from an ATM in a city 60 miles away. It took exactly 10 business days for Money Network to complete their investigation and return my funds. They'll send you a packet to fill out and sign - complete it IMMEDIATELY and send it back. Make sure to check your online transaction history and highlight all the fraudulent transactions for them. They won't give you temporary credit during the investigation, which is absolutely ridiculous when you need that money for essentials. This is why I always transfer my funds to my personal bank account as soon as they hit the card now.

happened 2 me 2!!! they took $410 while i was asleep lol. money network is terrible with security!!!

THIS IS WHY THE EDD SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!!! Money Network has HORRIBLE security and EVERYONE I know has had their card compromised at some point. My sister had $1,200 stolen and they took SIX WEEKS to return her money - she almost got evicted because of it!!! The REAL solution is to IMMEDIATELY transfer every penny of your benefits to your personal bank account as soon as it hits the card. DO NOT leave money sitting in your Money Network account for more than a few minutes. The other problem is that EDD and Money Network like to blame each other when things go wrong, so you get stuck in this horrible cycle of being transferred between departments.

I had something similar happen last year when I was on UI. My card was skimmed at a gas station I think. I filed a claim with Money Network but they were moving so slow. I was desperate to reach someone at EDD who could help speed things up, but you know how impossible it is to get them on the phone.

My money was stolen twice within a month (over $1400 total) and Money Network did return everything, but it took about 15 days each time. Here's what I learned from the experience: 1. For faster processing, send the fraud forms via priority mail or fax them if possible 2. Get a new card issued immediately (they should have offered this) 3. Change your PIN to something completely random 4. Switch to direct deposit for future payments 5. Check your transaction history daily while on unemployment Also, I found out that keeping your card in one of those RFID blocking sleeves actually helps prevent skimming.

I just went through this whole mess in January. The Money Network cards are notoriously easy to compromise. My situation was different though - my physical card was stolen from my mailbox before I even received it. Someone activated it before me and drained the account of $900. I had to file a claim with Money Network, then also contact EDD to report the stolen card. The whole process took about 12 days before I got my money back. I immediately set up direct deposit after that experience. During those 12 days I was completely broke and had to borrow money from family. It's terrible they don't provide provisional credit while investigating.

Quick update on my earlier comment - another important step is to monitor your credit reports for the next few months. Sometimes these card thefts are part of larger identity theft attempts. While the Money Network card isn't directly tied to your SSN or credit, the thieves might have obtained other personal info along with your card details. Also, when you switch to direct deposit, your money is protected by your bank's fraud protection, which is typically much better than Money Network's. Most banks will give you provisional credit while investigating, unlike Money Network.

Just so you know what to expect - Money Network will send you a letter asking for details about the fraud. They'll ask when you last used the card, if anyone else had access to it, whether you shared your PIN, etc. Be VERY clear that you never shared your card or PIN with anyone. If they think there's even a hint that you might have been negligent with your card security, they can deny your claim. Also when you get your new card, NEVER use it at gas pumps, sketchy ATMs, or anywhere the card leaves your sight. Those are the most common places for skimming devices.

Update: Money Network finally sent me the fraud packet today. Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm filling it out right now and will fax it back to them immediately. I also managed to get through to EDD using that Claimyr service and have set up direct deposit for all future payments. Now just have to wait for them to investigate the fraud. Will update when I get my money back!