DHS warns Arkansans about SNAP scams, encourages account security

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Department of Human Services officials are encouraging those using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be aware of scams and take the steps to secure their accounts.

DHS officials report that various scams are circulating to trick someone into revealing the PIN for their SNAP account. Scammers are also taking over accounts with easy-to-guess PINs.

Beneficiaries should take the necessary steps to set a unique PIN and to check their accounts regularly for unauthorized use, officials said. They should also be careful of any suspicious devices at card-reading machines, they said.

“Stealing SNAP benefits is a terrible crime that targets families in need, and those who perpetrate this despicable act should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Mary Franklin, Director of the DHS Division of County Operations. “We should also make it as difficult as possible for scammers to get away with this, and that means securing accounts and safeguarding PINs.”

Officials said SNAP recipients can protect their accounts by calling the Electronic Benefits Transfer Customer Service line at 1-800-997-9999, following the prompts, and resetting their PIN to a combination that is known only to them.