Unfortunately, due to the end of Congressional authorization, benefits stolen via card skimming, fraud, or other electronic theft after December 20, 2024, cannot be reissued.
If your benefits are stolen electronically make sure to:
- REPORT it to:
- your local law enforcement agency
- REQUEST a new EBT card through:
- the EBT Recipient Hotline: 1-888-EBT-PENN (1-888-328-7366) (open 24/7)
- your local County Assistance Office (CAO)
- FIND immediate food assistance by:
- calling 211 or visiting www.211.org
- visiting pa-navigate.org/
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.
- Check ATMs and retail card readers for skimming devices before using your card.
- 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
- It is a good idea to check your EBT balance and purchase history regularly to make sure there are no unexpected purchases or balance inquiries. We also recommend changing your PIN monthly right before your payment date. You can easily monitor your card through the free official myCOMPASS PA mobile app.
Currently Known Scams
Targeting | Program | Description | Contact | Date Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Public | EBT and ACCESS Cares | Text messages claiming benefits have been deactivated. The scam message tells recipients to call a (833) 786-6243 number to activate it. | County Assistance Offices | 11/13/2024 |
| 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 |
Targeting | Program | Description | Contact | Date Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |