ACCOMAC, Va. — Officials at the Virginia Department of Social Services have warned for months: scammers are stealing SNAP benefits from Virginians. And now, the Department is taking steps to reimburse Virginians who fell victim to fraud and lost their benefits.
A press release from the Virginia Department of Social Services says the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service approved a fraud replacement program.
Starting July 17, the state Department of Social Services will use federal funding to replace SNAP benefits stolen between October 1st, 2022 and September 30th, 2024 "through card cloning, skimming, and other fraudulent methods."
You must act quickly to get a refund if your benefits were stolen. You need to fill out an application form within 30 days of discovering the scam. According to the Department, you’ll get your money back within 10 days.
The Department’s website says officials there are aware of “criminal attempts” to steal SNAP EBT card information.
Falling victim to a scam could put a strain on families according to the director of the Accomack County Department of Social Services, Vicki Weakley.
“We had a spike towards the end of 2022 that we hadn’t seen before,” Weakley said. “If you’re counting on that money to pay your grocery bill, it’s going to make it pretty tight to get from one month to the next. Initially, when the scamming started, we were in the position that the benefits could not be replaced. So that put folks in a position of having to rely more on food banks and food pantries.”
Weakley said she hopes this program will provide a sense of relief for those who fell victim to scams.
“Absolutely. We didn’t know if we were even going to be able to do that. So we’re excited that we even have that as a possibility," Weakley said. “If you’ve been a victim of the scamming, you need to report it to whichever agency you’re receiving benefits from – as soon as you know it.”
The USDA also warned about SNAP benefit scams, earlier this year. Its website warned about phishing attempts via “phony” text messages where criminals try to get you to reveal your PIN and account information.
Fredlena Cosby of the Better Business Bureau of Hampton Roads said these types of scams are common.
“There has been a real surge of phishing scams lately and basically a phishing scam is someone that poses as a company or organization in order to get your personal information from you," Cosby said.
But there are things you can do to protect yourself.
The Department is urging Virginians to take preventive measures to protect their funds. This includes: changing your PIN often, checking card swiping devices for tampering, and not responding to unsolicited texts, emails, or phone calls concerning your EBT account.
“Don’t ever share your pin, don’t give it to anybody," Weakley said. "Social services will never ask you for your pin. If anyone calls, texts, e-mails you, in any way and asks for that: do not give it to them."
Cosby said any text message or phone call that pushes urgency should also give you pause.
“Watch out for any pressure tactics or urgent deadlines or claims of limited availability, they’re often signs of trouble," Cosby said.
Visit www.dss.virginia.gov/EBTscam to apply for a refund via the fraud replacement form or to find out more information.
The Better Business Bureau also has more information on other common scams and how to avoid them.