SNAP Fraud

Don’t become a victim of benefit theft!

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Monitor your account and change your PIN

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Let’s work together!

Please report stolen SNAP benefits through our Fraud Tip Report form so that we may continue to identify and fight benefit theft.

Following instructions from our federal partners, beginning June 30, 2025, MDHS can no longer replace stolen SNAP benefits, even if the theft occurred before December 20, 2024.

Here are a few tips to help protect your card & pin:

Change Your PIN the day before your monthly benefits load to your account each month.

Avoid Simple PINs: Number combinations such as 1111, 1234, or 9876 may be easy for others to guess.

Keep it in a safe place and do not write your PIN on your card or card sleeve.

Change your pin often. By changing your PIN frequently, especially after using your card, you can minimize your risk of stolen benefits from a previously skimmed EBT card. To change your card PIN, you can call: 1-866-512-5087.

Keep your PIN secret: do not share your PIN with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine.

Check card reading machines to make sure there’s nothing suspicious. Parts can be added to the readers that steal your information and can be difficult to detect. They are often bigger than the original machine and may hide parts of the machine.

Check your EBT account regularly for unrecognized charges by going to EBT – Electronic Benefit Transfer (connectebt.com). If you notice any, change your PIN immediately to prevent further theft.

Accurately reporting your household changes can ensure that you are receiving the correct amount of benefits.

Make sure all members of your household – and only the members of your household – are included in your SNAP case.

Your household may be:

Just one person living alone,
A group of people living together who routinely purchase and prepare food together, or
One person or a group of people living with others who purchase and prepare food separately.

Some individuals that live together must be included in the same household and be on the same SNAP case:

Spouses who are legally married
Parents and children under age 22
Children under 18 who are financially or otherwise dependent on a household member who is not his or her parent, such as a grandparent or non-relative caregiver. This does not include foster children.

Report all your household’s income on your SNAP application and report any changes to your income.

Your household’s income includes:

Earned income, including salary, tips, wages, etc.
Child support
Social security benefit (SSI)
Unemployment
Monetary gifts (cash, bank transfers, etc.)
Pension or retirement income
Other government benefits like Veteran’s benefits, disability, or TANF cash assistance

Federal law requires you to report any change of $125 in your household income within 10 days.

Report all your household’s resource, including cash or money you can access and things you own that could be sold for cash.

Your household’s resources include:

Bank account balances (including mobile banking apps like CashApp, Venmo, and Chime)
Land
Property
Stock
Lump sum payments (like a cash bonus or lottery winnings)

You must report any changes in your household’s resources to MDHS within 10 days of the change.

Accurately reporting income, liquid resources and household composition reduces the risk of a possible claim for benefits you will have to repay due to over issuance.