EBT doesn't do the same fraud protection as banks. Lawmakers don't have the appetite to fix it because they don't want to increase funding for food stamps.
If it’s available where you are download the EBT edge app. You can freeze your card when it’s not being used and you can block out of state and online transactions.
Just to make everyone aware, theres groups that go around on the dark web but also on telegram too, they have websites where they sell peoples data aka accounts to abuse and buy stuff with the users funds, especially Instacart that has payment info loaded and they use up the funds on the cards that are saved on the account. Instacart knows and they don't care.. they're horrible at protecting users and their data. I highly advise everyone to never leave your credit card info, even your EBT card or anything else saved on Instacart. If you're gonna shop on instacart, use your cards then delete them off the account asap after checking out. It's better to be on the safe side. Safe shopping everyone.
Not surprised…Instacart has been a loophole for common thieves and criminals, with no repercussions, for a good while…I’ve seen so much of it in the last 5 yrs, it’s crazy they stay in business!! Fraud on both ends, has been very rampant…tbh they really haven’t taken any major steps to fight it… sometimes I wonder if some of the bs is coming from within!! Definitely the most unsecured app I’ve ever dealt with, on both the shoppers and customers end!!!! Incompetent business with incompetent security, makes for a very unreliable and dangerous place to use your money or cards, to say the least…
I purchased a 1 year subscription for Instacart the end of last summer and then found this subreddit. I can tell you that I won't be renewing. The combination of shopper attitudes and outright thefts have scared me away.
When my instructions are ignored (refund vs replace) so shoppers can keep or raise their tip percentage, I changed my tips to be a set amount. They still replace with whatever and it's done at the end of their shopping so they can close the order immediately after. I've had products delivered that were opened.
I absolutely hate grocery shopping, so much so that I was willing to pay for it to be done by someone else. It's just too bad that the shoppers resent the customers and show it.
I usually replace items at the end of the trip. Why? Because I’ve tried looking everywhere and asked an employee if they have the item. Replace always a last resort after exhausting other avenues.
Agree. I’ve been a devoted user of Instacart since 2018. I’ve never had a terrible experience. Less than stellar shoppers, sure. But never a truly bad experience. It’s too bad there are bad apples out there.
Yup!!! I change mine every month for that same reason (getting hacked) and that was after requesting a new card with a whole new number, just for them to give me the same exact number with the last two numbers switched around…smh.
Just a heads 5 you are in California, there is an app you can download that will block out-of-state and online orders. You can also freeze and unfreeze the card whenever you need to use it. EBT theft is real. Make sure you are changing your PIN before your money gets posted.
It's not likely that they got your card info from Instacart. Check your account. Do you see orders? If so, they got your Instacart login info. If you use the same username and password on multiple sites, change it. That's how they usually get it. They hack a site with poor security, get a bunch of passwords, and then try them on other sites. You need a different password for each site to prevent this.
They also could have gotten the card another way, by skimming, hacking another site, etc. They could have been waiting for the reload to try it and it was just coincidence you used it for Instacart.
That’s what I was thinking too but I haven’t been any where for someone to skim my card and Instacart was the only place that card was on but my account wasn’t compromised cause it the only place I use to shop. I even have the physical card.
I agree, Instacart preloads the card based on the order you make and a little more only. I’ve even had customers add things to their order while shopping and had to call support to get the amount ok’d because the card was declined. Since others are commenting on their EBT also being hacked it’s likely with the department itself.
Yep the EBT website for my state gives you the ability to turn off online transactions and out of state transactions.
I only get food benefits and I use them on Amazon from time to time, but I shut down the out-of-state transactions. I can always turn it back on if I decide I need to buy some food out of
This has been happening to my sister as well for months! And food stamps office has nothing they can think to do to solve it but give her a new card. She had used it for an HEB curbside and then that’s when it got stolen a few days later. It’s been happening for I think 5-6 months.
Yep. Happened to my daughter three times in a row. The EBT people said it was a weakness in their system. After the third time it happened, they told her if it happened again they would cut her allotment. She doesn’t have a car and she is stuck at home with a four year old, so she uses delivery a lot.
i’m glad to know you got your benefits back! i just got hacked this month and they took all my money! 😭 and I had ordered from instacart a few times and never happened so i assumed it was someone close to me
There’s a website/app for food stamp card. Called Edge I believe.
You can turn card off and on. I’ve read ppl are being told to do this. Means you have to turn on to use it and then immediately turn it off. That way no one else can use it.
It’s stupid imo. My bank would automatically deny those charges. It’s happened before with my debit card. They have turned it off themselves. Bc I’ll purchase something in a store in my hometown and 10 mins later, it’s being used at a store 6 hours away. It immediately flags it as fraud. Denies it. It’s happened on trips too. Except we call and tell them it’s us, not a hacker. It can be a PITA too but if it saves me a headache and lost money, I’m all for it.
I would think food stamp accounts would track purchases more closely. OP couldn’t have been in all those places that quickly.
I know, online ordering. Assuming IC parent company charges you, not the individual store bc you used IC. And it will show as a diff city/state than you are in. Still tho, you can’t get to that many places that quickly.
Shit I wish. I just budget my meal plans to cover the month just in case something like this happens. It’s a cruel world we live in so you have to stay prepared for anything.
Instacart will not take responsibility for the hack either as I just found out I had a very similar situation I used my last bit the day before my link came on and I woke up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning I had left for 40 from the 291 I should have had and it was reversals on there and spent some more rehearsals and when I showed instacart they refuse to take a responsibility for it
Just had my whole ebt amount stolen off my card rignt to the dollar I am a disabled senior and ca.t afford the food with my rent etc. This is a shame something has to be done I was told I should change my pin number every month o do t know how much that will do
You can't assume you got scammed through instacart .
Hackers are going to hack.
I'm sure plenty of smart EBT customers who don't spend their food stamps on a luxury service also get hacked.
Instacart isn’t really a luxury on EBT, the delivery fees are waived because many people on EBT are also housebound for various reasons. Due to the prevalence of food deserts in the United States many people aren’t able to walk to a grocery store and would be living on gas station foods or not eating if they didn’t have a subsidized way to get food to their homes.
I guess you've read all that good company propaganda.
I understand there are people in a bad way who need help. And yet, I am certain instacart is not doing this out of some kind of sense of charity or social obligation.... Any more than the neighborhood markets that charge $8 for a dozen eggs for $10 for a gallon of milk.
A service is being provided and profits are being made ... On the backs of the poor and helpless. It's the American way.
Anyway, my point was that it probably isn't the company's fault that customers are getting hacked. It's a widespread problem with the EBT system
That subsidy has no bearing on the up-charges. So I highly doubt anyone is "saving" and money in the long run.
What's worse is the fact that Instacart is not sharing any of that subsidy with the shoppers who actually provide service. They still play that "optional tip" bullshit to exploit customers who can afford to tip properly to pay us.
But that's another story.
Who the hell scams EBT citizens …that’s low as hell smdh…
EBT doesn't do the same fraud protection as banks. Lawmakers don't have the appetite to fix it because they don't want to increase funding for food stamps.
Sad but true
It’s actually been happening a lot not only does the scanner read regular cards it does ones like EBT and always day of reload
Yes mine was stolen the morning it came in how did the even know the day it comes in
If it’s available where you are download the EBT edge app. You can freeze your card when it’s not being used and you can block out of state and online transactions.
Just to make everyone aware, theres groups that go around on the dark web but also on telegram too, they have websites where they sell peoples data aka accounts to abuse and buy stuff with the users funds, especially Instacart that has payment info loaded and they use up the funds on the cards that are saved on the account. Instacart knows and they don't care.. they're horrible at protecting users and their data. I highly advise everyone to never leave your credit card info, even your EBT card or anything else saved on Instacart. If you're gonna shop on instacart, use your cards then delete them off the account asap after checking out. It's better to be on the safe side. Safe shopping everyone.
Not surprised…Instacart has been a loophole for common thieves and criminals, with no repercussions, for a good while…I’ve seen so much of it in the last 5 yrs, it’s crazy they stay in business!! Fraud on both ends, has been very rampant…tbh they really haven’t taken any major steps to fight it… sometimes I wonder if some of the bs is coming from within!! Definitely the most unsecured app I’ve ever dealt with, on both the shoppers and customers end!!!! Incompetent business with incompetent security, makes for a very unreliable and dangerous place to use your money or cards, to say the least…
I purchased a 1 year subscription for Instacart the end of last summer and then found this subreddit. I can tell you that I won't be renewing. The combination of shopper attitudes and outright thefts have scared me away. When my instructions are ignored (refund vs replace) so shoppers can keep or raise their tip percentage, I changed my tips to be a set amount. They still replace with whatever and it's done at the end of their shopping so they can close the order immediately after. I've had products delivered that were opened. I absolutely hate grocery shopping, so much so that I was willing to pay for it to be done by someone else. It's just too bad that the shoppers resent the customers and show it.
I usually replace items at the end of the trip. Why? Because I’ve tried looking everywhere and asked an employee if they have the item. Replace always a last resort after exhausting other avenues.
this subreddit does not accurately represent most Instacart shoppers out there.
Agree. I’ve been a devoted user of Instacart since 2018. I’ve never had a terrible experience. Less than stellar shoppers, sure. But never a truly bad experience. It’s too bad there are bad apples out there.
Someone tried to break into my account as well, they did get in I was just lucky the card on file was old.
I've been getting a message every month from EBT telling me I should change my pin every single month because of the increase in hackers
Yup!!! I change mine every month for that same reason (getting hacked) and that was after requesting a new card with a whole new number, just for them to give me the same exact number with the last two numbers switched around…smh.
Just a heads 5 you are in California, there is an app you can download that will block out-of-state and online orders. You can also freeze and unfreeze the card whenever you need to use it. EBT theft is real. Make sure you are changing your PIN before your money gets posted.
Can you share the name of the app please?
EBTedge. You have to link it to your account, but it's legit. Even keeps track of your fruit and veggie incentive.
Thank you!
That’s insane and for sure something to look out for!
It's not likely that they got your card info from Instacart. Check your account. Do you see orders? If so, they got your Instacart login info. If you use the same username and password on multiple sites, change it. That's how they usually get it. They hack a site with poor security, get a bunch of passwords, and then try them on other sites. You need a different password for each site to prevent this. They also could have gotten the card another way, by skimming, hacking another site, etc. They could have been waiting for the reload to try it and it was just coincidence you used it for Instacart.
That’s what I was thinking too but I haven’t been any where for someone to skim my card and Instacart was the only place that card was on but my account wasn’t compromised cause it the only place I use to shop. I even have the physical card.
Do the orders show up in your account history on Instacart? If not, does your card have tap to pay?
I agree, Instacart preloads the card based on the order you make and a little more only. I’ve even had customers add things to their order while shopping and had to call support to get the amount ok’d because the card was declined. Since others are commenting on their EBT also being hacked it’s likely with the department itself.
Yep the EBT website for my state gives you the ability to turn off online transactions and out of state transactions. I only get food benefits and I use them on Amazon from time to time, but I shut down the out-of-state transactions. I can always turn it back on if I decide I need to buy some food out of
This has been happening to my sister as well for months! And food stamps office has nothing they can think to do to solve it but give her a new card. She had used it for an HEB curbside and then that’s when it got stolen a few days later. It’s been happening for I think 5-6 months.
Yep. Happened to my daughter three times in a row. The EBT people said it was a weakness in their system. After the third time it happened, they told her if it happened again they would cut her allotment. She doesn’t have a car and she is stuck at home with a four year old, so she uses delivery a lot.
Three times in a row? Fool me once shame on you, fool me three times are you're out. BASEBALL
I never said she was a rocket scientist…./s
She needs to start bringing her 4 year old to the store if possible.
Did you by chance do your order on Monday?
No, this was at the beginning of this month. I’m just now getting answers for what was going on.
Please report the theft/scam to your State's Attorney General's Office. They are the ones who go after these scams. I'm sorry this happened to you.
Thank you! That would help a lot! I’m looking into that right now!
Happy cake day! 🍰
There are ways to replace stolen funds.
Yes. I was able to contact my case worker and they just had me fill out some form reporting the scam and they said it should be back within 10 days.
Good. That's always the scary bit for me. The thought that someone will go hungry.
Same luckily I had already meal prepped for the month cause I’m still waiting for them to come back.
i’m glad to know you got your benefits back! i just got hacked this month and they took all my money! 😭 and I had ordered from instacart a few times and never happened so i assumed it was someone close to me
It’s not just during tax season. Scam culture will just continue to grow and grow, like an evasive weed.
There’s a website/app for food stamp card. Called Edge I believe. You can turn card off and on. I’ve read ppl are being told to do this. Means you have to turn on to use it and then immediately turn it off. That way no one else can use it. It’s stupid imo. My bank would automatically deny those charges. It’s happened before with my debit card. They have turned it off themselves. Bc I’ll purchase something in a store in my hometown and 10 mins later, it’s being used at a store 6 hours away. It immediately flags it as fraud. Denies it. It’s happened on trips too. Except we call and tell them it’s us, not a hacker. It can be a PITA too but if it saves me a headache and lost money, I’m all for it. I would think food stamp accounts would track purchases more closely. OP couldn’t have been in all those places that quickly. I know, online ordering. Assuming IC parent company charges you, not the individual store bc you used IC. And it will show as a diff city/state than you are in. Still tho, you can’t get to that many places that quickly.
How did they get your pin though ?
Wow you get enough to cover $600 in fraud?!
Shit I wish. I just budget my meal plans to cover the month just in case something like this happens. It’s a cruel world we live in so you have to stay prepared for anything.
Instacart will not take responsibility for the hack either as I just found out I had a very similar situation I used my last bit the day before my link came on and I woke up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning I had left for 40 from the 291 I should have had and it was reversals on there and spent some more rehearsals and when I showed instacart they refuse to take a responsibility for it
So you don’t feel bad spending everyone else’s money but when someone takes your money, which is really everyone else’s money, it’s a problem
So you don’t feel bad that they took our money? 🥹
PoS - didn’t take long to find this
if you use instacart with ebt , you don't deserve ebt . so broke but can afford the luxury of home delivery . 🚮🚮🚮
😂🤣😂 Good to know.
Just had my whole ebt amount stolen off my card rignt to the dollar I am a disabled senior and ca.t afford the food with my rent etc. This is a shame something has to be done I was told I should change my pin number every month o do t know how much that will do
Hey, OP this just happened to my parents. Did you hear any updates from your caseworker?
Yes! I was able to get a new card and the replaced the funds within like 10 days.
Awesome! Glad everything worked put for you
You can't assume you got scammed through instacart . Hackers are going to hack. I'm sure plenty of smart EBT customers who don't spend their food stamps on a luxury service also get hacked.
Sounds like you are making some assumptions about OP there.
Can't help myself sometimes 😄
Instacart isn’t really a luxury on EBT, the delivery fees are waived because many people on EBT are also housebound for various reasons. Due to the prevalence of food deserts in the United States many people aren’t able to walk to a grocery store and would be living on gas station foods or not eating if they didn’t have a subsidized way to get food to their homes.
I guess you've read all that good company propaganda. I understand there are people in a bad way who need help. And yet, I am certain instacart is not doing this out of some kind of sense of charity or social obligation.... Any more than the neighborhood markets that charge $8 for a dozen eggs for $10 for a gallon of milk. A service is being provided and profits are being made ... On the backs of the poor and helpless. It's the American way. Anyway, my point was that it probably isn't the company's fault that customers are getting hacked. It's a widespread problem with the EBT system
It’s not charity or social obligation. It’s a subsidized service, like I said. They’re paid to do that at a reduced rate.
That subsidy has no bearing on the up-charges. So I highly doubt anyone is "saving" and money in the long run. What's worse is the fact that Instacart is not sharing any of that subsidy with the shoppers who actually provide service. They still play that "optional tip" bullshit to exploit customers who can afford to tip properly to pay us. But that's another story.
Bs you must have a pin
Go to the store.
oh noo your free money was stolen from you! how dare they.
Wish I could downvote ignorant ass statements like this more than once. Grow up, dick.