Arkansas Department of Human Services launches website to fight SNAP fraud

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Officials with the Arkansas Department of Human Services have launched a website to help combat Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud.

Officials stated that the amount of fraud in the state continues to rise as SNAP recipients lose benefits due to fraudulent activity. The website at AR.gov/SnapFraud/ contains not only tips to prevent fraud but also resources to report being a victim of fraud.

Officials said DHS is working with state and federal partners as well as the current Arkansas Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card vendor, Conduent, to explore ways that SNAP accounts can be protected from future fraud attempts.

Mary Franklin, director of the Division of County Operations within DHS, offered some tips to prevent being defrauded.

“We need Arkansans who receive SNAP benefits to take steps to prevent this unauthorized access,” Franklin said. “Most importantly, they should immediately set a new four-digit PIN that only they know, and continue to change the PIN every month. This simple step goes a long way in locking scammers out.”

Officials said SNAP recipients can reset their PINs by calling the EBT Customer Service line at 1-800-997-9999 and following the prompts. This is an important step to take before new benefits are added to cards, they said, which typically occurs beginning around the 4th of each month.

Officials also recommended avoiding easy-to-guess PINs, such as 1-2-3-4 or 1-1-1-1, or those that can be easily guessed using birth dates or street addresses, and keeping the number a secret.

Other tips included regularly checking EBT accounts and changing the PIN if an unauthorized transaction is found. Also, check card-swipe machines to make sure nothing has been hidden to steal card details and avoid saving the EBT card as payment for online shopping.

Additional information about SNAP and EBT is available at HumanServices.Arkansas.gov/SNAP.