Earlier this week, TLS reported that local residents were reporting money missing from their EBT cards.
Today, more local residents are discovering that money is missing from their cards.
In a number of cases, fraudulent purchases were apparently made online using the stolen information.
Initially, people were alleging that an unscrupulous cashier at a local store may have been behind theft. However, it appears now that these thefts may be part of a larger operation targeting EBT cards.
The Lakewood Police Department over the past few days has been inundated with calls reporting thefts of these cards, but unfortunately there is not much police can do.
In response to the thefts, Foodex has hung up a sign urging customers to immediately change the pin on their card.
Probably someone who works in one of the large lkwd stores… skimming numbers.
That’s easy to trace to a stupid cashier and/or some smarty whose wife has the card and all he gives over are the numbers and pin. Happens a lot. The law is clear- the merchant is liable.
It’s a lot easier to do then you think. A relative of mine in NYC had their entire card value stolen. It was traced to someone in North Carolina. It’s done online, mostly by hackers. It happens quite often across the country. Very unlikely that it’s a store clerk.
how do we if we change pin# that issue wont happen again? i heard people lost thousands of dollars mainly from 1 grocery
How about just giving up public assistance? After that use cash only. Problem solved.
What a nasty thing to say. People are hurting.
Not meant to be nasty at all. Just a suggestion while all of this is going on nationwide. It appears you took my comment wrong. Although I do feel it has become too common to expect public assistance in this country.
What do you mean from one grocery? The fraudulent purchases were made there?
Well, for one, when the cashier says that he is not allowed to accept an EBT number or a credit card number without the card being physically present, don’t run to the man ager complaining that “this” is the only store that has such arbirtrary rules. For your card’s security and the protection of your money, follow the rules and advice of the cc companies for swiping with actual card. Any thief can take your number and just use it at a supermarket if the cashiers are permitted to process card numbers withoiut swiping.
FYI ebt can now be accepted with online orders so you don’t have to use your physical card.
If the issue happened at one store maybe their network is hacked – Also The cards info is not encrypted as it clearly shows up on the computer after a swipe.
This is a nationwide issue right now. Systems are hacked. People cards are emptied within minutes of the new months stipend being added.
I think what is happening is that a crooked cashier placed a skimmer on top of the store’s card reader.
Look very closely at the store’s credit card reader and if someone placed a skimmer on top of it, you will notice that something does not look right.
You’re wrong.
So the food stamp program was run by USAID.
Who knew?
It happened in Brooklyn this week as well so it’s probably not just a worker in a big lakewood store
thats not what happened
these people were sophisticated
they stole the entire balance from people as soon as the card was loaded by the state
Exactly. Online scammers and hackers.
People simply give, the ebt numbers and pin, or have it “on file” and then yah easy to steal and use.
Simply swipe and enter your pin… Don’t give numbers to anyone.
It’s amazing how every one became a detective and nows what happened and how it happened when the police have no idea yet but I will point out this has bin going on now for over 1 year in the Hamish community sin Brooklyn and Monroe already for a while I don’t no if they even know who has been doing it their maybe it’s the same crew of crooks who no that we have large family’s so are EBT cards have more $ on them in the beging of the month so they are Targeting the Jewish towns also if I can point out they did not take any credit card info so it is looks more like a inside job then a local one
It’s a hacked system..
How does one change the pin?
i didnt give my number anywhere..and i was scammed. my ebt was used at bj s in linden
Amazing it was local. I know of cases where it was used in other states, different regions of the country.
My EBT card was officially used in person in a Target store in Florida…..go explain. Because my EBT card is connected to my Target account, I saw the purchases on my account and it says it was a in store purchase. I have copies of the receipts but who is going to be doing that kind of investigations?