Scam targets Wisconsin FoodShare members
State health officials are warning FoodShare members of a scam that uses fake text messages to steal recipients’ benefits.
The scam comes as FoodShare members are bracing for a decline in benefits. Starting this month, FoodShare recipients won’t receive the extra pandemic benefits the federal government had been providing for many months. Recipients will see a drop in monthly benefits of at least $95. Officials at the state Department of Health Services say they are investigating the scam but declined to provide an exact number of those affected. Here’s what to know.
What does the scam entail?
Complaints made to the state health department by FoodShare members say they received fake text messages telling them their benefits would be locked if they didn’t call a phone number to confirm their account numbers and personal identification numbers (PINs).
Once people called the fake line and gave that information, the scammers used it to access and steal their FoodShare benefits.
What is the state health department doing now?
While the investigation into the scam continues, DHS is removing access to all unidentified phone numbers that have so far been linked to the scam cases.
The department is also discontinuing and replacing any compromised QUEST cards, the debit cards FoodShare recipients use to access benefits. It is also looking into if any benefits need to be replaced for members who lost money to the scammers.
How can I protect my FoodShare benefits?
DHS is asking FoodShare members to take a few steps to protect their benefits:
Monitor their account balances through MyACCESS or ebtEDGE.
Add or change account passwords, which are otherwise optional.
Do not share account passwords and PINs outside of your household.
Make sure your PINs and passwords are unique.
Avoid using email addresses, names of family members and pets, or other easy-to-find information as your password.
Avoid using your birth date and year, as well as repeating numbers, such as 1111, numbers in a row, like 2345, and numbers that follow a pattern, like 1212, for PINs.
You can also temporarily freeze your QUEST card between uses, as long as you unfreeze it when you are making a purchase.
Unless traveling out of state or buying groceries online, keep access to those settings blocked.
Make sure to confirm that any email or text you receive about FoodShare is actually from DHS before acting on it. DHS sends official FoodShare texts from 94347 (WI DHS) and emails from dhs@info.wisconsin.gov.
Emails and texts from DHS never ask members for personal information, such as a birthday or Social Security number, or financial information, like a bank account or credit card number. DHS does not offer prizes or money to members for responding to these texts and emails.
What do I do if I need to report suspicious account activity?
Avoid clicking any links in the email or text message or calling the phone number that sent you the text message or any phone number in the suspicious message.
Call your local agency to report or ask about suspicious account activity, to check your account information, get help establishing a password or to ask general benefit questions.
In Milwaukee, that local agency is Milwaukee Enrollment Services. The MilES office is at 6055 N. 64th St. and the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) is at 2701 S. Chase Ave.
Report lost or stolen cards immediately to QUEST Card Service at 877415-5164. They are available 24/7.
In addition to reporting scams to your local agency, also report it to Wisconsin’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wi.gov.