Fresno County Department of Social Services warning community of EBT scam

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new wave of debit card theft is happening all over the state.

Scammers are sending text messages to EBT cardholders pretending to be Social Services requesting information.

The details sought are your card number and PIN, which opens the door for them to access your benefits.

"Nobody employed with the Department of Social Services would ever ask for a client's PIN number or their personal information to access their benefits," says Elisa Gallegos, Program Manager of the DSS Program Integrity Division.

Some of the texts sound urgent with the scammers saying you'll lose your benefits if you don't reply with your card information.

Social Services says it prefers to contact clients by mail or phone and they don't need your account number, they already have it.

"Every scammer attacks differently," Gallegos said. "I don't think they have the knowledge of how much is on each and every card and at what point in time there are benefits there, but they do try to transact as much as they can."

To compensate victims, Social Services can reimburse lost benefits to make sure people on SNAP or other welfare programs do not have to go without.

If you believe you're missing EBT funds or if you've received a suspicious text message, report it to Fresno County Social Services at 1-855-832-8082.