Oh SNAP! Beware of benefits bandits

OKLAHOMA CITY – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) clients across Oklahoma will begin receiving their December food benefits in less than a week and will be planning to use those benefits for their holiday meals.

At the same time, criminals are waiting for these benefits to post so they may continue the theft schemes human services and law enforcement agencies are battling across the nation. For that reason, Oklahoma Human Services encourages all SNAP customers to change their PINs and lock their cards to protect their benefits before they post in December.

“We are seeing an unfortunate increase in the usage of skimming devices and card cloning across the nation, including in Oklahoma, and want to encourage all Oklahomans, not just SNAP recipients, to use precautionary measures when making their purchases at the checkout line,” said Mike Adams, Law Enforcement Agent V, Oklahoma Human Services Office of Inspector General. “While my team works with state and federal agencies to bring criminals to justice, there are a lot of things we can do to protect ourselves from these criminals. We encourage our SNAP clients to take swift action to secure their accounts before their December benefits are issued.”

Oklahoma Human Services and the Office of Inspector General urge SNAP recipients to change their card PINs before benefits are issued on Dec. 1. Clients should take this action even if they have recently changed their PINs and should choose a PIN that is hard to guess. Additionally, clients may lock their cards between purchases by downloading the ConnectEBT app from any smartphone or mobile device. Recipients may also change their PIN by calling 1-888-328-6551 or visiting connectEBT.com. This and other card safety tips are available at the agency’s EBT web page.

“SNAP customers rely on their benefits to provide food for their families, and we want to do everything we can to help them retain their benefits and have a happier holiday season,” said Sondra Shelby, Adult and Family Services Director at Oklahoma Human Services. “Changing their PIN and locking their card between purchases are two simple but extremely effective ways for clients to protect their SNAP benefits.”

In a typical month, Oklahoma Human Services sees less than 200 requests for replacement of benefits due to skimming, cloning or phishing. However, in the past several months, the agency has received nearly 17,000 requests for replacement. We want to enable our clients to protect their benefits, so they don’t fall prey to criminals.

While the agency works with local, state and federal partners to apprehend and prosecute bad actors who are stealing from various cardholders, including clients, we continue to urge individuals to remain vigilant in protecting their benefit cards just as they would debit or credit cards.

Protect your EBT Benefits:

• Download the Connect EBT app to use your card’s safety features. The app can be downloaded on any smart phone device and can also be accessed online at ConnectEBT.com. For assistance logging into your ConnectEBT account, call OKDHSLive at (405) 522-5050.

• Choose a hard-to-guess PIN. Never use PINs like 1111, 1234, etc.

• Lock your SNAP card between purchases to keep your card safe from unauthorized transactions. Watch this video to learn how to use the lock/unlock feature. Your benefits will load to your card even if it is locked.

• Know the types of fraud criminals may use to steal your benefits.

• Check card readers at the checkout counter to ensure they haven’t been tampered with.

Oklahoma Human Services is also on track to launch chip-enabled cards next summer to increase the level of security for our cardholders. More information on chip cards will be made available as we get closer to launch.

Current SNAP recipients who have lost benefits due to card skimming, cloning, or other fraudulent methods including phishing can apply for stolen benefit replacement through Dec. 20. Claims can be submitted in the following ways:

• by phone at 405-522-5050

• in-person at a Human Services Center, or

• by mail to Oklahoma Human Services, SNAP, PO Box 25352, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.