Bad news to SNAP recipients in Virginia, since its Department of Social Services has announced that the Federal program to replace missing or stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT funds finished on December 20, 2024.
It is true that if your benefits were stolen between October 1, 2022 and December 20, 2024, your local department can still accept your claim for replacement. However, it would be wise to protect your SNAP payments from now on.
Connect SNAP EBT Lock or Unlock Feature
Thankfully, the Virginia Department of Social Services will soon add one more security feature to SNAP EBT cards. At the end of January, Food Stamps recipients in Virginia will be able to lock or unlock their EBT cards to protect their monthly payments.
In this way, you will have the opportunity to unlock your SNAP payments when you are about to pay at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Then, when you finish your purchase, you can lock it again.
Avoid card skimming and other fraudulent activities that try to steal your Food Stamp payments. To lock or unlock your EBT card, use the official ConnectEBT app and set your preferences. A few taps on your phone will protect your cash. However, these are not the only measures you should carry out to protect your EBT card.
Other ways to protect your SNAP payments in Virginia
In the first place, you should always avoid simple PINs scammers can easily find out. Never use PINs such as 1234, 1111, or 9876. Birth years are also easy to guess, so avoid them.
Most importantly, never share your PIN. This number should be kept in secret to avoid having your SNAP benefits stolen. Once you are paying in-store, hide the numbers you are entering so no one can read them.
Scammers often call or send you text messages or emails. Do not provide anyone pretending to be from the SNAP office with your card number or PIN. Changing your PIN number regularly is also advisable. Finally, check if all the operations in your account have been authorized.
