Scam texts say an EBT card is locked and give a number to call, while skimmers on store card readers steal card data. Here is what to know if you hold a card.
If you get a text saying your EBT card is locked, do not call the number in it. USDA warns that criminals send these texts, and the person who picks up asks for your card number and PIN. A real benefits office never asks for a PIN by text or phone.
"EBT scam" is not one trick. It covers several that aim at the same thing: the Electronic Benefit Transfer card that holds food benefits (SNAP) and, in some states, cash benefits. The three main kinds are:
With skimming, the Federal Trade Commission's May 2024 alert says thieves place illegal devices on payment terminals. Because an EBT card needs a PIN, they may add a hidden camera near the reader, or get the PIN by text or call. With both, they can make a duplicate card and drain the benefits.
The message is short and urgent. It does not need to know your name. It goes to a very large number of phones, and the senders count on a small share of people actually holding an EBT card. For those people, the fear of losing a month of food money is strong, and the caller is practiced at keeping them on the line.
Anyone in the US who holds an EBT card, and the relatives and caseworkers who help them. If you do not use EBT, the text is simply junk and you can ignore it. Coverage cited in the report also points to the end of federal replacement of stolen SNAP benefits. Rules differ by state, so catching theft early matters.
The alert box above lists the steps. The key idea is simple: never use the contact details in the message. Use the number on the back of your card instead. New Jersey's consumer alert adds that help getting SNAP benefits is always free, so anyone asking for payment to "recover" stolen benefits is a red flag.
No primary source names a business or person behind these scams, so none is named here. The report says security sites have written little about this so far. Its steps were checked against Apple's and Google's documentation and the sources it cites, but the authors did not test a link or an app on a phone. USDA also recommends asking your state about a chip card. A chip card is harder to copy than a magnetic stripe, though availability is not covered in the material.
A real benefits office never asks for your PIN by text or phone, so call the number on the back of your card, not the one in the message.
Morristown police say scammers posing as bank staff are pushing people to withdraw cash, which is very hard to get back once it is handed over.
Read more: Morristown police warn of scam where fake bank staff ask for cashA viral ChatGPT prompt turns what the chatbot remembers about you into a room image. Posting it publicly could give scammers clues to target you.
Read more: Viral ChatGPT room image could hand scammers clues about youA message saying your Amazon account was hacked is often the scam itself. Checking in the Amazon app first can protect your card, gift balance and phone.
Read more: If Amazon says your account was hacked, check before you call
