JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – People across the country and in Mississippi have reported they have been affected by EBT thefts through skimming.
“Skimming happens when you swipe or insert your card, and there’s a reader that pulls the information off your PIN number, your card number and your name,” said Mark Jones, Chief Communications Office for the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS).
Stolen funds cannot be reimbursed due to federal changes made in December 2024, but Jones said MDHS is actively investigating the cases.
“This hits Mississippi’s most vulnerable residents hardest. And so, we want to be able to investigate and root out this type of fraud that is perpetuated against Mississippi’s most vulnerable residents,” said Jones.
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He said cardholders should change their pins frequently and be mindful when creating them.
“Don’t use a simple pen. Don’t use sequential numbers. Don’t do one, two, three, four. Don’t do one, one, one. Don’t use something that is synonymous with your birthdate or even your Social Security number,” Jones stated.
Tiffany Williams, who lives in Jackson, said it’s discouraging to go through the theft and be told nothing can be done.
“To say y’all can’t do nothing, just fill out a form. I mean, that’s kind of hurtful and like a slap in the face, like we don’t care, you just got to wait another month to get your benefits,” she said.
If you believe you have been a victim of SNAP EBT theft, MDHS requests that you call the Mississippi EBT cardholder service center at 1-866-512-5087 to report the card as compromised and create a new PIN. This will deactivate the card and send a new card to the account holder.
Customers can learn more about requesting replacement benefits on the SNAP Fraud Benefit Replacement page.
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