Below are a list of potential threats, scams, and frauds targeting benefit recipients, of which we are currently aware.
New scams are being hatched all the time, so here are a few general tips to keep you and your accounts safe:
- Never give out personal or account information over the phone, in email, or via text messages.
- Benefits such as SNAP, should never be used without the offical EBT card present.
- If you have questions or believe your account has been compromised, immediately contact your local County Assistance Office.
- If theft is believed to have occurred, the CAO will cancel your current EBT card and issue you a replacement EBT card. This is a preventative measure as just changing your PIN may not prevent future theft from occurring since the perpetrator still has your active card number. By sending a new card, it will cancel the previous card number as an extra layer of protection for your benefits
- In general, it is a good idea to check your EBT balance and purchase history every few days to make sure there are no unexpected balance inquiries or purchases. We also recommend changing your PIN every two to three months.
Recognize Skimming Devices
- How We Can Help You: Skimming — FBI
- Video: Recognize and Protect Yourself and Family from Skimmers — El Cajon Police Department
Helpful Links
- Benefit Theft Claim Form: PDF form or web form
- Helpful Phone Numbers
- County Assistance Offices
- Federal SNAP Scam Alerts
Currently Known Scams:
Targeting | Program | Description | Contact | Date Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retired Pennsylvanians via Facebook | Fee for Service | Facebook messages promising money for a service charge/fee There are scam Facebook messages sent promising $50,000 from the PA Department of Human Services, but you have to pay a "fee". REMINDER: DHS will NEVER ask for money in exchange for benefits. If you have questions, please contact your local CAO or call the Fraud Tip Line. | DHS fraud tip line: 1-844-DHS-TIPS (1-844-347-8477) or the Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) website. | 8/23/2024 |
| General Public | EBT and ACCESS Cares | EBT Skimming for SNAP benefits. Reports of stolen SNAP benefits in the Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania region due to card skimming devices and has referred these reports to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which oversees SNAP and SNAP retailers nationwide. Individuals are also encouraged to report any SNAP theft to local law enforcement. | DHS fraud tip line:
| 6/6/2024 |
| General Public | EBT and ACCESS cards | Text Messages claiming "EBT card is locked" For example, one scam message read: | County Assistance Offices | 4/10/2024 |
| Medicaid Recipients | Medicaid | Medicaid recipients are receiving text messages informing them that their PA HealthPlan application is due. Upon calling the telephone number in the text message, callers are told that they must pay $125 in fees and taxes by credit card or their benefits will be closed. | Your credit card company | 12/11/2023 |
Medical Assistance Recipients | Medicaid/CHIP | Texts from “Health Services,” “Health Solutions,” or “Innovative Partners”
Phone numbers involved in potential scam: 855-572-6201 -|- 863-222-9611 -|- 224-258-0570 -|- 833-369-2932 -|- 888-677-6074
Email addresses involved in potential scam: @innovativepartnerslp.com | 10/04/2023 | |
General Public and Retailers | SNAP | Mass Texts | 04/27/2023 | |
General Public | EBT and ACCESS cards | Mass Texts | 02/25/2023 | |
General Public and Retailers | EBT Cards | Card Cloning | 09/27/2022 | |
Elderly | SNAP | Phone Calls Requesting EBT Card Numbers | 09/27/2022 |
What to do:
DHS has developed a process for reissuing benefits stolen via card skimming, fraud, or other electronic theft.
This process allows for reissuance of benefits stolen from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2024. Unfortunately, due to federal regulations, benefits stolen prior to October 1, 2022, cannot be reissued, even under the new process.
If you suspect you have been the victim of benefit theft of your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits:
- You will need to complete and submit a Benefit Theft Claim Form: PDF form or web form
- Please note, this form is only for SNAP theft and cannot be used for theft claims on any other benefit.
Once you have completed the Benefit Theft Claim Form:
- You should submit it to your County Assistance Office (CAO).
- You can do this using COMPASS, either on your desktop or through the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app or by printing the PDF form and mailing it or dropping it off in person at your local CAO.
- You can also complete and submit the form through this webform.
Once the form is submitted:
It will be routed to a review team that will review the claim to determine if it appears to be a legitimate case of electronic benefit theft. If the team determines the theft claim appears legitimate, they will notify the CAO, who will reissue the benefits and will send you a notice informing you the benefit reissuance was approved and how much. If your claim is denied, a rejection notice will be sent specifying why your claim was denied. Your claim could be denied for the following reasons:
- The review team determined there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that the benefits were stolen via skimming, cloning or other fraudulent methods.
- You have already received two separate replacements in the current federal fiscal year.
- The benefits were stolen outside of the time period for which replacement of stolen benefits is allowed.
- You submitted your claim outside of the allowable time limits to file a claim.
- Your household gave your EBT card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to someone other than an immediate household member or authorized representative who then stole the benefits.
- Your household failed to provide the necessary information for DHS to validate the theft occurred and whether the benefits are reimbursable.
Please note, there are certain rules for the reissuance process.
- You must report the theft within 60 days of when the theft occurred. If the theft occurred before the reissuance process begins, you will have 60 days from when the process starts in June to submit the claim.
- You must submit a claim form within 30 calendar days of reporting the theft to your CAO or the benefits cannot be replaced.
- You can only receive up to two replacements in a federal fiscal year. Each replacement will be for the amount stolen or two months' worth of your household's SNAP benefit amount, whichever is less. The federal fiscal year is the period from October 1 through September 30. For example, if your monthly SNAP benefit is $150 and you submit a the first claim for $450 in stolen benefits, and a second claim in the same federal fiscal year for $250 in stolen benefits, the maximum that can be reissued is $300 for the first claim and $250 for the second claim. Once the next federal fiscal year begins on October 1, you will be eligible for an additional two replacements, should additional theft occur.
- Only benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning, and similar electronic fraudulent methods can be replaced. If your household gave your EBT card and PIN to someone, if your household lost your EBT card, or if the EBT card was stolen and your SNAP benefits were stolen, they cannot be reissued. If your benefits were stolen because the card was physically taken or lost, you will have to file a police report and pursue restitution against the perpetrator through civil court.
- Only benefits stolen between October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024 are eligible for reissuance. Any benefits stolen prior to October 1, 2022 or stolen after September 30, 2024, are not eligible to be reissued, unless additional permissions are granted through Congressional legislation.
- While DHS encourages victims of benefit theft to report this to your local law enforcement so that they can investigate and pursue potential charges against whoever stole the benefit, this is not a requirement to receive benefit reissuance.