There have been reports of SNAP fraud all over the country. Thieves use a method called “card skimming” to steal SNAP benefits. Thieves do so by placing a device on a store’s card-swiping machine to copy EBT card information. Card skimming can happen to anyone who uses a credit, debit or EBT card, including SNAP participants.
HHS will never call or text you to ask for your Lone Star Card number or PIN.
Protect yourself against fraud. SNAP participants should take actions that may help prevent card skimming. For example:
- Keep your PIN secret. Do not share your PIN with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine. Thieves notice when large deposits, like Pandemic-EBT Benefits, are made. We recommend you change your PIN after every use when there is a large balance. If your EBT card numbers are copied by a Skimmer machine, you may avoid theft by changing your PIN immediately after each use, before the Skimmer has time to hack into your account and steal your information. There is no limit on how many times you can change your PIN.
- Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If you notice any, change your PIN immediately to stop the thief from making any new purchases.
- When making purchases, check to make sure there’s nothing suspicious attached to the card swiper or keypad. These can be difficult to detect but are often bigger than the original machine and may hide parts of the machine. Try to avoid small corner store purchases or frequent visits to the grocery store for a few items. Prepare a comprehensive grocery list and only shop once a week or, if possible, once a month. If you have small pantry and freezer space, you will have to shop more often, but you should try to limit the number of times you use the Lone Star Card as much as possible.
If you believe you are the victim of card skimming and SNAP benefits were stolen from your EBT card, contact your local SNAP office.
If you or someone you know needs legal help, applications for free legal assistance are taken online at www.lonestarlegal.org or by phone at 1-800-733-8394.
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Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations by providing free legal education, advice, and representation. LSLA serves millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines, who live in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties in Southwest Arkansas. LSLA focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety, stability, health, and wellbeing; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those with disabilities, the aging, survivors of crime and disasters, the unemployed and underemployed, the unhoused, those with limited English language skills, and the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at www.LoneStarLegal.org.
Media contact: media@lonestarlegal.org
