SNAP Benefits Stolen From 41 Coos Bay Residents as Oregon Officials Sound the Alarm
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued a consumer alert yesterday after 41 Coos Bay residents reported that their SNAP benefits had been stolen and fraudulently spent outside Oregon since November 8.
Suspects install a small device or overlay on a store’s point-of-sale machine or card reader that captures magnetic stripe data and the PIN when an EBT card is swiped. Thieves use this data and PIN to clone cards and make remote and out-of-state purchases before victims notice their benefits are wiped out.
AG Rayfield said, “These scammers are preying on the most vulnerable people in our communities — it’s like yanking groceries out of someone’s hands at the checkout.”
ODHS will never ask for your card number or PIN by text or social media. To Protect Your EBT Card and Benefits:
- Use only the official ebtEDGE website and mobile app for Apple or Android
- Check card readers and avoid using machines that look tampered with or loose.
- Keep your PIN private and don’t share it or write it down.
- Change your PIN often by calling 888-997-4447, logging in to ebtEDGE, or visiting an ODHS office.
- Monitor your account.
- Report unauthorized charges
- Freeze your card when not in use.
- Limit out-of-state and online transactions in ebtEDGE under “Protect My Account” and block risky purchases.
- Ignore scams.
You can find detailed instructions on protecting your EBT card and benefits on the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) website.
If you’ve been a victim of EBT fraud, contact the ODOJ Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392. In addition, if you live in the Coos Bay area and have been a victim of card fraud, call the North Coos Bay 911 Dispatch to file a local police report.