COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scammers continue to target Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cardholders, and officials are urging recipients to protect their cards to avoid losing benefits.
According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, there were 287,886 total SNAP households in South Carolina in October. 1,962 of those households reported SNAP benefits being stolen, representing less than 1% of all households.
Still, people should stay vigilant and try to monitor their accounts, says Connelly-Anne Ragley with the Department of Social Services.
"Thieves don't care. They don't care that you can't feed your kids. They don't care that folks are going to bed at night hungry. They will do they will stop at nothing to take advantage of, frankly, the people that need the help the most," said Ragley.
She says EBT cards numbers can be stolen online or skimmed by card readers, the same as your other credit or debit cards. Some EBT readers have contactless payment, but others don't, meaning they have to be swiped or inserted into a reader.
This can make you vulnerable to skimming, says Scott Cooke with the Department of Consumer Affairs.
"If you can tap it instead of actually swiping your card a lot of times, that might be helpful, because, of course, they're encrypting that information. There's not a physical device running your card through it. So that might be something you want to consider, using those tap options whenever that's available," said Cooke.
He says to protect any kind of account, you should set up secure passwords and monitor for any fraud.
"The big thing with all this type of stuff, if it's skimming, or if it's website purchase it, or whatever, just kind of trust your gut. We always tell people you kind of can see those signs of when things may be sketchy or may not quite be trustworthy.”
What should you do to keep your EBT card safe? DSS has a few tips.
Use the authorized Connect EBT app to manage your EBT card, as it is the only approved app in South Carolina. Avoid using other third-party apps.
Frequently change your EBT card PIN, at least once a month, and make it a challenging PIN that is difficult to guess.
Be vigilant when using your EBT card at retailers - check the card reader for any signs of tampering or skimming devices.
Regularly monitor your EBT card balance and transactions for any unauthorized activity, and report any suspected fraud immediately.
Never provide your EBT card number, PIN, or other personal information if contacted by someone claiming to be from the Department of Social Services.
If you think your benefits have been stolen, you can fill out the form electronically, and get more information at the SCDSS website. You can also contact customer service to cancel your EBT card at DSS 800-554-5268.