In order to protect themselves from scammers, Pennsylvania citizens who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were cautioned by the Office of State Inspector General and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to change their PIN.
The Shapiro Administration is encouraging all recipients to update their PIN each month prior to receiving benefits because of the rise in EBT/SNAP benefit theft and the loss of funds meant to provide for their families.
There have been reports of data cloning machines (sometimes known as “skimmers”) all around the Commonwealth that resemble EBT card readers in appearance and operation while also reading the card information and perhaps emptying the account.
“We are constantly working to ensure that the benefits administered by DHS remain available to Pennsylvania residents who need them. The Department of Human Services is aware of data cloning incidents that have affected SNAP recipients; card cloning and SNAP theft have been national problems,” Dr. Val Arkoosh, DHS Secretary stated.
SNAP fraud can be prevented by changing your PIN
It is advised that you update your PIN on a monthly basis and ensure that your EBT card does not have a data cloning device connected when you swipe it through a card reader to prevent fraud with SNAP benefits.
How to modify the PIN on your EBT card:
- By phone: The DHS EBT Beneficiary Hotline is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached at 1-888-EBT-PENN (1-888-328-7366).
- Online: Conduent, DHS’s EBT contractor, offers users the ability to modify their PIN online through its Connect EBT website.
- Through the smartphone application: Additionally, users can use two other apps to change their PIN online:
Conduent’s secure ConnectEBT app is free to download from the Google Play and Apple app stores.
2025 Disability Rate Changes for Veterans: Eligibility, Compensation, and Key Charts
The official, safe, and secure mobile app for Pennsylvania is called myCOMPASS PA, and it can be downloaded for free from the Google Play and Apple app stores.
The myCOMPASS PA smartphone app allows SNAP participants to routinely check their rewards and transactions.
When Will You Get Your SNAP Benefits in April? Full Payment Date Schedule
According to the DHS, it has imposed more stringent security protocols, which include disqualifying “simple” PINs like “1234”.
Additionally, it is in the process of creating a function that will enable account locking for anyone who suspects fraud.
Leave a Comment