Here's how Victims can Now Recover Credit After Being Hit by EBT Card Scams
Digital payments are being used to make sure that the benefits of welfare schemes reach a maximum number of people in need, but even these schemes are exploited by scammers. In 2022, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program distributed over $113.9 billion to nearly 22 million households across the country. Unfortunately, criminals have successfully stolen the benefits being delivered as part of SNAP, which is crucial for Americans below the poverty line.
Criminals are stealing money from food stamp debit cards, and the fact that an EBT card is loaded with a credit balance makes it extra attractive to fraudsters. They are pre-loaded with credit, which is then spent in-store or online.
The good news is that help is now available for the victim of skimming, cloning, or any other SNAP fraud, so that they can access reimbursements in a speedy manner.
How can victims recover their credit?
Anybody who has been scammed by card skimming phishing or any other method can now submit a reimbursement request via the One DHS Customer Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp. Check out more details here.
Among EBT scams, phishing occurs when fraudsters get hold of a beneficiary's personal information such as card details. These then enable the criminals to hack into your EBT funds. Fraudsters can also use this information to fake EBT cards which is called cloning, before making purchases.
As most of these EBT cards can be used for online shopping, the attackers only need the card details to use the credit on the card. To steal credentials, victims are approached using emails or text messages claiming that every EBT recipient will get a $300 bonus added to their card by clicking on a link and providing card details, as part of COVID relief.
Another tactic used by scammers is to target the people who are eligible for EBT benefits but have not yet enrolled. This is when the fraudsters use a fake email and then redirect the victim to a website.
Beyond the online ecosystem which provides a cover of anonymity to scammers, fraudsters are also meeting people in person and robbing them of their finances. They lure people by offering $100 cash if a beneficiary buys $120 worth of groceries with an EBT card.
Then there are card skimming scams that target people at ATMS or through card readers in big stores. These devices are used to simply copy card data and transfer it to fraudsters who exploit it.
Things You Can Do To Avoid These Scams
Don't Respond: It's best not to respond to unsolicited messages or phone calls that are related to an EBT account. We all know by now that official channels do not reach out often and ask for personal information.
Freezing your account between transactions: Yes, this is a great idea when you are not using your account very often.