The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) said the scam appears to be targeting its clients — DTA helps people from lower-income households through financial and food assistance benefits. The agency’s investigative team said they’ve become aware of banks and retailers who appear to have had their ATMs and card processing terminals compromised.
State officials did not specify which banks and ATMs have been affected by the recent hack,
These hacked bank terminals use skimming technology, an electronic device that steals card information from a card reader and creates a fake card in the process — also known as cloning — to steal people’s money or food benefits.
“As a precaution, DTA strongly recommends that clients change the PIN on their EBT cards at this time and before each scheduled benefit issuance date,” the agency said. “Clients do not need to receive a new card to safely access their benefits.”
The DTA added that it has taken several preemptive steps to help protect clients’ benefits, including sending out multiple targeted text messages, creating a notice to inform clients and encouraging them to reset the PIN on their card. The agency also created a webpage on skimming and how to protect benefits.
The agency also reported a phishing scam where DTA clients receive scam text messages that their Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits have been blocked. The message directs individuals to call a number where they are asked to provide their P-EBT card number. This message is not from DTA, officials stated. DTA only sends text messages from 382-674 and would only direct clients to call the Assistance Line (877-382-2363) or EBT Customer Service Line (800-997-2555).
“People should never provide their personal information or EBT/P-EBT card number over the phone to unidentified callers,” the department said. “If any DTA client believes they may have fallen victim to a skimming or phishing scam, they are encouraged to report it to DTA’s fraud hotline at 1-800-372-8399.”
© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
