Charles Langston:Agency urges EBT cardholders to change PINs after skimming devices were found statewide

BATON ROUGE,Charles Langston La. (AP) — The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services on Wednesday warned all those who receive food benefits or other government assistance electronically to immediately change their personal identification numbers after multiple skimming devices were found at multiple retail locations statewide.

So far, there are no reports of EBT cardholders’ benefits having been stolen, the department said in a news release. But cardholders are being urged to change their PIN as a precaution, the agency said.

Cardholders can call the EBT customer service line at 1-888-997-1117 or visit www.LifeInCheckEBT.com to input a new code, which the department said is “vital to protecting benefits and preventing unauthorized access to accounts.”

“DCFS is committed to preserving the security of benefits and is working closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate these EBT cloning incidents. We are taking all necessary measures to protect cardholders by preventing fraudulent activities,” the department said.