Scammers are using the COVID-19 crisis to steal personal information from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned March 24.
“While many organizations are seeking to help communities respond to COVID-19, SNAP participants should be suspicious of any unknown individual or organization that requests their confidential information,” Brandon Lipps, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services said in a news release. “This is a difficult time for us all, and we certainly don’t want to see bad actors taking advantage of those in need.”
The release said examples of confidential information include social security number, bank information, or a participant’s SNAP EBT card or PIN number. In one potential scam reported by the USDA, a website asked SNAP recipients to enter their personal and bank account information to qualify for COVID-related monetary assistance.
The USDA said SNAP recipients should contact local or state SNAP offices. State contact information is available at the USDA website. The USDA’s scam alert webpage is found here.
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