skimming & phishing alert: emergency Coalition mtg for orgs in Eastern MA on Thurs 8/25

FoodSNAP
Please tune in to a special Coalition meeting next Thursday, 8/25 - especially if you work with communities in Eastern Massachusetts (see map below). 
 
SNAP stolen by skimming - next steps, and special Coalition meeting on Thurs 8/25 @ 10
 

An organized “criminal ring” is stealing SNAP and DTA cash benefits by making essentially a duplicate EBT card. This issue has escalated to a point where DTA needs to take drastic action to protect benefits. 

 

About 120,000 SNAP households in the Quincy, Brockton, and Boston areas have been sent notices to re-PIN their EBT card to protect against stolen SNAP via skimming. If they don't re-PIN by 8/23 to 8/25 (depending on where they live), after 8/23-8/25 they won't be able to use SNAP until they re-PIN. For more details, see DTA's overview here or our last eblast here with more information about what is happening, why it is happening, and the scope of families who are impacted. We also have a short tweet thread with an overview or to re-tweet.  

 

DTA has posted general information on skimming as well as fliers and resources on how to re-PIN in 12 languages:

 

Mass.gov/ProtectYourEBT, and in Spanish: Mass.gov/ProtejaSuEBT

 

Because of the urgency of this issue, we are having a special Coalition meeting on skimming on Thursday, August 25 at 10 AM. Here is the Zoom link for this special Thursday meeting. Coalition members from across the state are welcome, but we will be focusing our discussion on households in the Quincy, Brockton, and Boston areas whose PINs were removed starting on Tuesday. If you work with households in Eastern MA, please tune in if you can. As we shared in our last skimming eblast, this is an all hands on deck situation! 
 
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"Phishing" attempts - scam text messages - that EBT card has been blocked  
 
DTA has shared there have been reports of people receiving scam text messages stating their EBT card has been blocked. These messages are not from DTA. DTA only sends texts from 382-674 and, in general, only directs clients to call the DTA Assistance Line (877-382-2363) or the EBT Customer Service Line (800-997-2555). Clients should only discuss a PIN issue with the EBT Customer Service Line (800-997-2555) - or with identified DTA staff via the Assistance Line or in a local DTA office. Clients should never provide their EBT card number or PIN to any unidentified callers/texts. 
 
 
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