Over the past few weeks, the MDHS Office of Inspector General has reported an increase in reports of stolen SNAP benefits in the Jackson metro and surrounding areas near the state line.
Following instructions from federal partners, stolen SNAP benefits can no longer be replaced.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services reminds SNAP clients to take immediate steps to protect their SNAP benefits.
It is important to change your PIN after each use. MDHS has put together a video tutorial explaining how to change your PIN from your mobile device.
Here are some additional tips to safeguard your card from benefit theft:
- Change your PIN the night before your benefits are loaded each month.
- Avoid using PINs that are easy to guess, such as 1234 or sequences of the same digit like 0000 or 1111. While these may be convenient for you to remember, they also make it simple for thieves to access your account and steal your funds.
- Keep your PIN secret. Do not share your PIN with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine.
- Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If your EBT card has been compromised, call the Mississippi EBT card holder service center at 1-866-512-5087 as soon as possible to report the card as compromised. This will deactivate the card and send a new card to the account holder.
- Check card reading machines to make sure there’s nothing suspicious overlayed or attached to the card swiper or keypad.
Criminals are working quicky to steal benefits. In a matter of minutes, they can gain access to your card number and PIN and send it to anywhere in the country where it can be immediately used online.
MDHS is working with its vendor to enhance security solutions to protect client’s benefits.
Additionally, MDHS is working with local and state law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute the criminals that prey upon Mississippi’s neediest residents.
Continuing to report stolen benefits to the Office of Inspector General fraud hotline at 1-800-299-6905 can help with ongoing investigations.
For updates, visit Home – Mississippi Department of Human Services (ms.gov) or follow on MDHS Facebook or MDHS Twitter.
