Over a third of Californians (34.8%) were poor or near poor in 2023. Here at BrokeAssStuart.com, we look out for each other, and there’s some major scamming happening that targets the poor.
When you sign up for help in the State of California, you have to answer a ton of questions and jump through a few hoops. It’s not as bad as some states, but it can be a painful and humiliating process for some. That’s why the new EBT scam is so treacherous.
People who use things like CalFresh get a card called an EBT, which stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer. It looks just like a debit card, which can help mitigate some of that potential (and legitimate) worry about being judged. Too often people assume the worst when you’re using things like food stamps, often falling back on harmful stereotypes.
The trouble is that it can be awkward or confusing to check your balances, track how much you’ve spent, or change your pin. If someone is new to using EBT or just doesn’t know any better, they could get fooled.
In Apple’s App Store, typing in EBT gets you a bunch of results. The top hit is “Propel: EBT, SNAP, WIC, & more,” which shows up on my phone as both a regular app and an advertised one. If someone uses any of those words, they’ve used Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to make theirs come up first. Kind of like someone spamming their IG post with hashtags back in the day.
The next is “ConnectEBT.” Then there’s an app called “ebtEDGE.” This is the one that’s causing local agencies to send out alerts to folks. It’s a scam.
Looking at the app, it’s hard to tell whether it’s legit. It’s got hardly two stars, but stars mean nothing in the world of government apps. For example, the official Veteran’s Affairs app called Live Whole Health has 3.2 stars. It might signal that the government is (shocker!) using outdated tech.
There’s also “Ebt edge - food stamps” and “Benny: Cash back on EBT” and so many others it’s hard to keep track. But thanks to SF Human Services’ Instagram, we know that these are all third-party apps. And some of them even cost money – $4.99 a week, which is a significant amount when you’re impoverished enough to qualify for these programs to begin with.
If people believe that the app is legit, they might enter their pin – and then lose everything loaded onto the card. And if you’re scammed more than once in a 36-month period, you can’t get the lost resources back. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice in three years, and we’re gonna have a problem.
You can spot a scam if it’s coming from anyone who isn’t an official, verified profile. You can also always call your case manager or the person who helped you file and ask them. Usually there’s a number on the back of your EBT card or in the mail that came with it when you registered. Sometimes the scams are hard to spot, so if you’re not sure, don’t give out personal info!
Gif by pudgypenguins on Giphy
EBT scams are egregious because they’re taking money from the very people who need it the most. You should contact your representative to complain about it. Plug in your address here: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ (and we promise the website isn’t a scam – but always be careful when you enter your info into any website or app).
