Recent incidents of electronic food stamp card theft continue to occur, leading to an increasing number of individuals losing their benefits as a result. Fraudsters are taking advantage of the situation by impersonating the phone number of the New York City Department of Social Services and calling to inquire about food stamp information. Councilwoman Grace Meng of Flushing warns that these are scam calls, as the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) does not contact customers to request information about their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
According to Councilwoman Grace Meng’s office in Flushing, there have been reports from the public about receiving calls from a supposed customer service number of the NYC Department of Social Services, with the number displayed as 718-557-1399 – this number appears to be that of the agency’s customer service line, but it has been “technically altered” to mimic the official calling number of the department. In reality, representatives from the DSS OneNumber customer service line do not call clients to request information about their food stamp accounts or EBT cards.
If you receive such a call, it is advised to immediately hang up, even if the number displayed is 718-557-1399, purportedly from the DSS customer service line. Do not provide any food stamp information. You can also freeze your EBT card on ebtEDGE.com to safeguard your benefits.