TEXAS, USA — A new low has been achieved by scammers and the lengths they'll go to steal information and funds from people. Phone scammers are now spoofing Lone Star card users who receive SNAP and TANF benefits.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission said Tuesday it is receiving an increasing number of complaints about a spoofing scam to target clients who use Lone Star cards and receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
“There are millions of Texans who need our benefits, and we don't want them taken advantage of,” HHSC Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner, Molly Regan, said. “We know how important these benefits are, so we're doing all we can to help prevent fraud and make it easy to report it when it happens."
The HHS Office of Inspector General reports its fraud hotline is getting 10-15 complaints per day about the new spoofing scam that mimics the Lone Star Card Help Desk, lulling victims into a false sense of security.
Victims report receiving a call with the Lone Star Card Help Desk caller ID, 800-777-7328. The caller, sometimes a prerecorded voice, asks for the client’s personal identification number (PIN), Social Security number and date of birth in exchange for new or increased benefits.
“As the OIG Fraud Hotline identifies new and increasingly sophisticated scams, we want Texans to be able to protect themselves against those attempts to steal their information,” HHS Inspector General, Raymond Charles Winter, said. “Regardless of what the caller ID says, do not provide any personal information in response to an unsolicited call.”
HHSC will never contact recipients by phone, text or via email to ask for card numbers or PINs. Anyone concerned about a call regarding benefits should hang up and call the number on the back of their Lone Star card.
Anyone affected by Lone Star Card fraud should take immediate action by calling the Lone Star Card Help Desk at 800-777-7328, reporting it to the OIG at 800-436-6184, and contacting local law enforcement.
Anyone who loses benefits as a result of the scam can request replacement benefits through their local HHSC office.
Anyone with an immediate need for food assistance can contact a local food bank or food pantry by calling 2-1-1 and selecting option 1, or by visiting 211Texas.org.
For more information on how to avoid fraud, click here.
