Virginia says scammers are texting and calling food benefit cardholders with fake warnings about declined payments. Here is what the messages say and what to do.
Virginia's Department of Social Services says scammers are calling and texting people who use EBT cards. An EBT card is the card that holds food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The department says cardholders should not respond to suspicious messages in any way.
The department says the messages may claim that an EBT transaction was declined or that suspicious activity was detected on the card. Recipients may be told to reply to the message or call a phone number to verify the transaction. The state says not to do either, and not to share any personal, financial or card information.
The warning is aimed at Virginians who get SNAP benefits on an EBT card. Relatives who help manage a card should know about it too. The department's notice does not say that people without an EBT card are being targeted.
The steps are in the alert box above. If a message worries you, or you may already have replied to one, call (866) 281-2448 or your local department of social services office. Questions can also go to ask.ebt@dss.virginia.gov.
The report does not say how many people received these messages, who is behind them, or whether anyone lost benefits. It also does not say how long the messages have been going out.
If a call or text about your EBT card is unexpected, do not reply or call back. Contact Virginia social services at (866) 281-2448 instead.
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