Department Of Human Services Warns Of Potential EBT Card Scam, Reminds Of Safe Way To Apply for Assistance

January 12, 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is warning residents of a potential scam.

Meg Snead, the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, warned Pennsylvanians this week about a possible scam in which people, regardless of whether they are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, receive text messages with reference numbers stating that their EBT cards are about to expire or that there is a pending benefit transfer for their EBT cards. A victim of this fraud is solicited for personal information when they reply.

SNAP, EBT, and other public assistance programs will never be the subject of unwanted or arbitrary phone calls or texts from state officials, according to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services officials.

The phone number 1-833-648-1964 is used by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to send informational text messages to recipients of SNAP and other programs, but those texts will not include the below:

• Details about a person’s benefits, such as the amount of SNAP they are authorized to receive,
• A request for specific personal information, or
• Links to unofficial sites; most DHS texts will direct people to dhs.pa.gov, COMPASS, or a site that ends in .gov, .org, or .com.

“Do not fall victim to identity theft. If you have received unsolicited text messages asking you about your EBT benefits and for your personal information, it is a scam,” said Snead. “If you receive a suspicious text or call asking you for personal information, please inform the DHS fraud tipline at immediately so DHS and other authorities can investigate.”

The state department asks that any texts or calls about Pennsylvania Department of Human Services benefits that seem suspicious be reported by calling the fraud tip line at 1-844-DHS-TIPS (1-844-347-8477).

“Pennsylvanians who have questions about whether a call, text, letter, or other communication is legitimate should contact DHS’ Office of Income Maintenance. EBT balance and transaction inquiries as well as card replacements can be requested from DHS’s EBT contractor, Conduent, at 888-328-7366. In addition, Pennsylvanians can access their EBT balance through the free myCOMPASS PA mobile app in a safe and secure manner,” according to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.