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Don’t fall for this SNAP scam text, Pennsylvanians

"If you receive unsolicited text messages asking you for your personal information, it is a scam,” an official warned.

A sign notes the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards at a grocery store in Oakland, Calif.
A sign notes the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards at a grocery store in Oakland, Calif.Read moreJustin Sullivan / MCT

The text popped up on Esther Alvarez’s phone on March 12: “Your Pennsylvania access card is blocked.”

The message appeared to have come from a “pa.gov” email address and included a callback number.

Alvarez does not receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly called food stamps, or have an electronic benefit card (EBT) card, a debit card on which the benefits are deposited each month.

But Alvarez, a senior paralegal at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, was still struck with fear.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god. I wonder how many of our clients are getting these notices and are afraid and are texting that number or calling back,’ ” Alvarez said Tuesday. “It makes me really upset because these are people who really need their benefits.”

Fortunately, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia has not heard of clients falling victim to this scam, though Alvarez said she has heard of several others who received the same text that week.

Still, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has warned residents to be wary.

“Do not fall victim to identity theft. If you receive unsolicited text messages asking you for your personal information, it is a scam,” DHS Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh said Thursday in a statement.

According to DHS, the text messages were sent to people regardless of whether they received food assistance.

In Thursday’s statement, the department says it would never ask for information about SNAP, Medicaid, or other assistance programs in unsolicited text messages or calls. It asks that residents report any suspicious communications about DHS benefits to its fraud tip line at 844-347-8477.

Legitimate, information texts are sometimes sent to people who receive benefits, but those come from 833-648-1964. The department will never ask for personal information or details about a person’s benefits, such as the amount received. Most DHS texts include a link to dhs.pa.gov, COMPASS, or a site that ends in .gov or .org. Links that are not in those categories should be red flags. They will never reference a specific account number.

Pennsylvanians who receive SNAP or Medicaid benefits may notice an increase in informational texts, alerting them to recent federal changes to the programs.

The following are examples of legitimate texts from DHS:

  1. Is your contact information up to date with DHS? Don’t miss important info about your benefits. Update your information at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS.

  2. Your Medical Assistance and/or CHIP renewal is due. Your health care coverage matters. Complete your renewal now at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS or by phone.

  3. Your renewal packet has been mailed to you. Please be aware that the renewal packet will take several days to arrive in the mail. Please note that you can use a computer to log in to your MyCOMPASS account and complete your renewal today.

  4. Your renewal is due in 5 days. Please use a computer to log in to your MyCOMPASS account to complete your renewal today. You can also complete your renewal packet and mail it back to your CAO with the provided prepaid envelope.