Crown Heights Shmira has reported that they have received multiple reports of a food stamps scam recently taking place in Crown Heights. They report that the scam is still ongoing.
“The scammers are monitoring people’s cards for when they are refilled with funds,” a Shmira volunteer told COLlive.com. “As soon as it is filled, they run the card and deplete it of the funds.”
Shmira has been receiving reports daily of people’s card being wiped out of hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, they said.
They advise that all EBT card holders should change their pin number immediately to prevent theft.
The New York EBT card is a “debit” card that SNAP and/or cash benefits are given each month.
Shmira said that multiple people have reported finding their accounts completely depleted.
Due to the ongoing scam, Shmira recommends the following tips:
– Change your pin immediately.
– If the card reader doesn’t look right, physically check to make sure it isn’t a skimmer.
– Cover the pin pad when entering your pin
– Check your account for any inconsistencies
If you’re a victim of this scam:
– Report the fraud to EBT
– Contact Shmira immediately so there’s a chance to figure out which store is responsible.
it happened to me today at empire kosher
Me too
Feb 14 at empire kosher
2 charges at “Coral Mini Market” in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Can’t say for sure in which store
my info was stolen but my account was emptied in two transactions to Palermo food market Philadelphia
What exactly happened at Empire Kosher? You think something stole your pin there? Or you found out your card was empty there? (Have you used your card at non-Jewish stores?)
Mine was Rising Sun supermarket in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mine was Rising Sun supermarket in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
That area in Philadelphia is known to have a very high crime rate
They have to catch these scammers
What exactly happened at Empire Kosher? You think something stole your pin there? Or you found out your card was empty there? (Have you used your card at non-Jewish stores?)
1st and foremost, the most important thing is to file a police report if you were a victim.surpised that it wasn’t even mentioned!! Embarrassment (all what you have to is pick up the phone and dial 911 and they come to your house and file a report easy and done!
7182210303
For non emergencies.
how do i get in touch with shmira? thanks!
718-221-0303
if your snap benefit wasn’t stolen. it is highly recommended to change your pin immediately
What to Do If Your EBT Benefits Are Electronically Stolen
click for step by step details
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/hra/downloads/pdf/services/program_integrity/BRC-1063-SNAP-and-CA-Benefits-Skimming.pdf
How does it help to file a police report? Since when do the police investigate these kind of crimes?
Don’t swipe your card. Give the number to the cashier to punch in. I’ve done it many times at Empire Kosher & B”H never had an issue with stolen funds…
Giving the cashier your card # including pin?
i gave my number and got stolen
Doesn’t help.
Was stolen as well from people that do that.
Change the pin frequently.
How are they doing this even if i change my code how do I know I will be safe from these hackers what should I look out for ???????
In empire kosher how is that possible????
Change your pin every time you use it.
2 stores that deliberately allowed a “customer” to wipe many CH residents food stamps EBT is,
Paloma Food Market
6900 Woodland Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19142
And
Coral Mini Market
2036 E York St
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Obviously those 2 owners are “in” on it, as there is no way they provided tens of thousands of dollars of food, that much merchandise in return.
It’s obviously that they are giving cash in return to the skimmers & scammers.
Mine was charged in ‘one stop deli’ in Philadelphia, PA so there’s a third store too
Did you file a police report?
You swipe the card at the same device that scans all regular credit cards.
But only the EBT cards were robbed. No one reported their CC info stolen.
Shortly after shopping at Empire Kosher with a CC I was charged $111 at Red Lobster.
It was a card I rarely use and used for the first time in a while at Empire Kosher prior to being scammed.
My food stamps where wiped out by KINGS OF FLATBUSH DELI BROOKLYN.
I know I used my card by a Bodega on the corner of Albany and Midwood.
Dis anyone else have there’s stolen by the same merchant ?
Mine were used at king of Flatbush deli as well. But I’ve never shopped at that bodega, only kosher stores in ch.
I heard it’s happening in Boro Park and Williamsburg too, but didn’t clarify. I’m wondering if it’s the EBT app? Maybe it’s swiping an actual card? How do we know that changing the pin makes a difference? Has anyone reported this to EBT? Maybe it’s an internal job?
The ebt app would not let me change my PIN number 10 days ago, before I was defrauded of all of my SNAP funds. The police at 71st precinct told me to give them a print out of the fraudulent transaction to attach to their crime report under Petty Larceny. I plan on changing my SNAP PIN # in the welfare office on Atlantic Ave and request emergency SNAP benefits. I suspect an inside job because my ability to change my PIN via ebt phone number was denied/sabatoged. In Adar, noch!
There is one on Maple and one on Rutland there isn’t a store on midwood
I only used my snap card at Jewish grocery stores in Crown Heights, so one of these stores must have an employee in on it. so sad! how low can you sink to steal food stamp money from the poor??
Even though we filled out all the paperwork, they say it is not able to fill up…
The only solution right now is to change your Pin after every single time that you use your card.
This way even if they skimmed your card and have all of the info, they still can’t use it because they don’t have the new Pin.
How do so many Crown Heights residents qualify for food stamps?
Let’s hear first how you don’t qualify
When I called food stamps to report the card stolen I mentioned that it happened to lots of people in my area and they said it isn’t just your area, it’s all over the states. Seems they may have hacked the EBT system
My money comes in on the 14th, I went to shop today and I was cleaned out:(
Welcome to my life ,now you will pay for food
Is this type of identity theft limited to ebt cards, or does it affect credit cards as well?
I gave my report to Shomrim and they already put a face to the thief. I hope they catch him soon…
And people need to check each one before using by pulling on them. If they are loose then most likely they are compromised.
Best to go to Banks but even there I usually go to the teller. I also always cover my hand everywhere when putting in the pin.