IN HIGH RISK. THE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING STOLEN BEFORE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MONEY MOST KNOW IT'S EVEN GONE. BENEFITS TAKEN FROM THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. >> SEVEN ON YOUR SIDE IS DIGGING INTO COMPLAINTS FROM VIEWERS THAT THEIR EBT BENEFITS WERE DRAINED BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN USE THEM. AN ABC SEVEN NEWS I-TEAM REPORTER, MELANIE WOODROW, IS HERE. THIS HAS TO BE SO FRUSTRATING FOR PEOPLE INVOLVED. IT REALLY IS. >> AND ESPECIALLY LARRY AND KRISTEN BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THESE BENEFITS THE MOST. MOST OF THE VIEWERS WHO REACHED OUT TO US SAY THAT THEY USE THEIR EBT CARDS TO PURCHASE MUCH NEEDED GROCERIES, BUT THEY SAY WHEN THE BENEFITS ARE ADDED TO THEIR CARDS, SOMEBODY ELSE IS DRAINING THOSE BENEFITS BEFORE THEY CAN USE THEM. JENNIFER EVERSOLE IS A MOM OF SIX KIDS WITH HER SEVENTH ON THE WAY. >> MY FIANCE WORKS, BUT WE DO NEED A LITTLE ASSISTANCE. IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO. >> EVERSOLE SAYS SHE RECEIVES CASH AND FOOD BENEFITS, BUT DISCOVERED SOMEONE ELSE WAS DRAINING THE FUNDS FROM HER ACCOUNT EVERY MORNING ON THE FIRST. >> ON THE WAY TO DROPPING MY KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL, I GRABBED THE RENT OUT OF THE ATM, AND 7-ELEVEN IS JUST THE MOST CONVENIENT ONE RIGHT THERE. THERE WAS A MOM IN FRONT OF ME SAYING, DON'T USE THIS ATM. ALL OF MY BENEFITS WERE STOLEN. >> WHEN EVERSOLE CHECKED HER ACCOUNT, SHE REALIZED IT HAD HAPPENED TO HER, TOO. SHE IMMEDIATELY REPORTED IT AND FILLED OUT THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO HAVE HER BENEFITS REPLACED. >> THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. THERE WAS A TON OF PEOPLE IN THERE THAT HAD THEIR BENEFITS TAKEN AS WELL. >> BUT HER RESOLUTION DIDN'T LAST LONG. >> IN THE VERY NEXT MONTH, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A NEW CARD AND A NEW PIN, MY BENEFITS WERE TAKEN AGAIN. >> THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TELLS ABC SEVEN NEWS. THIS TYPE OF EBT THEFT EMERGED IN LATE 2021, AND THAT SKIMMING INVOLVES STEALING THE INFORMATION THROUGH A DEVICE IMPLANTED ON A CARD TERMINAL. >> IT IS INSANITY. THE USDA IS STILL USING A GLORIFIED HOTEL ROOM CASE. >> THAT'S WHAT HAYWOOD TELCO, CEO OF LEXISNEXIS RISK GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP, COMPARES THE EBT CARD TO FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE, HE SAYS, THE CROOKS ARE USING SKIMMING DEVICES TO DUPLICATE CARDHOLDERS INFORMATION, AND THAT A CHIP ENABLED CARD, MUCH LIKE A CREDIT CARD, WOULD BE ENCRYPTED AND SAFER UNTIL IT'S FIXED. >> THESE CRIMINALS, IT'S A FEEDING FRENZY, THE NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION TELLS ABC SEVEN NEWS THAT CALIFORNIA WILL LIKELY BE ONE OF THE FIRST STATES TO TRANSITION TO CHIP CARDS. >> WRITING IN AN EMAILED STATEMENT, QUOTE, THE USDA AND NCA ARE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN DEVELOPING THE STANDARDS TO ALLOW THIS TRANSITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SAYS CHIP TAP CARD IMPLEMENTATION IS EXPECTED THIS SUMMER. LAST YEAR, CALIFORNIA ROLLED OUT A MOBILE APP CALLED EBT EDGE TO PROTECT AGAINST BENEFIT THEFT. IT ALLOWS USERS TO FREEZE THEIR CARD WHEN THEY'RE NOT USING IT, CHANGE THEIR PIN LOCK ONLINE AND OUT OF STATE TRANSACTIONS, OR REQUEST A REPLACEMENT CARD. EVERSOLE STARTED USING THE APP AFTER SHE WAS THE VICTIM OF EBT THEFT MULTIPLE TIMES. >> I'M HOPING THAT THIS IS GOING TO PREVENT IT. >> TELCO SAYS IT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT YET, AND SOME OF THE FOOD INSECURE GUESS WHAT? THEY DON'T HAVE SMARTPHONES THAT ARE CAPABLE OF DOWNLOADING THE APP. >> IN THE MEANTIME, HE SAYS, THERE ARE THREE WAYS PEOPLE CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM EBT THEFT. GO TO BIGGER STORES AS OPPOSED TO SMALLER ONES, THOUGH THAT'S SOMETHING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES DISPUTES. >> UNFORTUNATELY, FRAUDSTERS TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUSINESSES OF ALL SORTS. WE THINK GIVING THAT KIND OF ADVICE WOULD GIVE CONSUMERS, IN SOME WAYS, A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AND IT WOULD BE BAD FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. >> ALCOVE ALSO SUGGESTS CHANGE YOUR PIN AFTER EACH TIME YOU USE YOUR CARD AND PUSH DOWN ON THE POINT OF SALE TERMINAL TO SEE IF IT FEELS LIKE IT HAS ANY GIVE A SIGN IT MAY HAVE A SKIMMER DEVICE ON IT. IF IT DOES, DON'T PUT YOUR CARD IN. >> I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT REALLY DOING ENOUGH AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT JUST AFFECTING US, IT'S AFFECTING TAXPAYERS. THANKFULLY, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT TO FALL BACK ON AND FAMILY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, BUT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOTHING. >> THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SAYS ANYONE WHO SUSPECTS THERE WERE VICTIMS OF EBT THEFT SHOULD CONTACT THEIR LOCAL COUNTY OFFICE. CARDHOLDERS CAN ALSO CONTACT EBT TO CANCEL THEIR CARD AND REQUEST A NEW ONE. THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO REPLENISH THESE FUNDS, BUT FOR CALFRESH BENEFITS, THERE ARE LIMITS TO TWO INSTANCES IN A YEAR AND EACH UP TO TWO MONTHS WORTH OF BENEFITS. REPLACEMENT LARRY AND KRISTEN, AS YOU HEARD, THIS IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE MULTIPLE TIMES. SO THAT MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH OF A REPLENISHMENT, RIGHT? >> AND IN THE MEANTIME, YOU'VE GOT TO FEED YOUR FAMILY. >> EXACTLY. IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, REQUEST IS
