South Carolinians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will soon notice enhanced safety measures to prevent fraud. The state Department of Social Services announced the new protective measures Wednesday.
On Tuesday, April 28, DSS will begin blocking all out-of-state and online Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transactions which will automatically place EBT cards in a “Block High Risk Transactions” status. This status will prevent the completion of out-of-state and online purchases. All in-state purchases will continue to process normally.
To complete an out-of-state or online transaction, cardholders must first unlock their accounts through the EBT Cardholder Portal, the ConnectEBT Mobile App, or by calling 800-554-5268.
Additional information about the new EBT fraud-prevention features can be found on the SCDSS website.
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.