Protecting your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) account is crucial to safeguard your benefits. EBT theft can occur through card skimming, cloning, or other deceptive methods. To enhance the security of your account, follow these simple steps:
Change Your PIN Regularly: One of the easiest ways to protect your EBT account is by changing your Personal Identification Number (PIN) often. Avoid using common PINs such as 1111 or 1234.
In addition to the PIN required to complete EBT transactions, recipients may establish a separate security code for interactions with the FIS Call Center and their ebtEDGE account. Recipients who wish to add a security code may visit a Department Family Resource Center or request a referral through the FIS Call Center. A designated Department staff member will then contact the recipient to assist with establishing the security code.
Monitor Your Purchases and Balance: Review your purchases and account balance frequently to detect any suspicious activity.
To further combat benefit misuse, the Florida Department of Children and Families offers additional protections through the ebtEDGE platform, including the ability to enable or disable online and out-of-state transactions and temporarily freeze an EBT card.
To access the ebtEDGE Cardholder portal visit: https://ebtedge.us/
You can instantly secure your card and protect your benefits by enabling transaction restrictions from the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal or mobile app. With the "Protect My Account" feature, you can set the following restrictions:
Block Out-of-state Transactions: Any Point-of-Sale (POS) transaction from a store outside of your state will be rejected. This includes online purchases with a delivery address outside your state.
Block Internet Transactions: The Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) system will block all online or mobile transactions.
To set these restrictions, log in to the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal or the ebtEDGE mobile app and select "Protect My Account." From there, you can easily toggle the restrictions on or off as needed.
To add an extra layer of protection, you can freeze your EBT card via the mobile app or ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal. When the card is frozen, no transactions can be completed. To unfreeze the card and enable transactions, you can easily reverse the process.
For more assistance in setting or removing these restrictions, call the phone number located on the back of your EBT card. Customer service representatives can guide you through the process, but they will not be able to change the restrictions on your behalf.
By proactively securing your EBT account and using the provided protections, you can significantly reduce the risk of benefit theft and ensure that your benefits remain safe and accessible when needed.