Ouray County Warns Residents of Food/Cash Assistance Scam
Ouray County will NEVER ask for PINs
Counties in Colorado have seen an uptick in reports of fraudulent callers asking residents to provide their card number and personal identification number (PIN) for their Colorado Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program, which delivers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and cash assistance payments. The fraudulent calls have come from international telephone numbers.
Ouray County will NEVER ask you for your PIN or card number. You should not share that number with anyone from the State, Ouray County, or any vendor or retail employee.
If there is a question about whether a text message, email, letter or phone call is a scam, assume it is and do not respond with any personal information. If you want to verify that an EBT-related call came from Ouray County Human Services, please reach out to our office in Ridgway at 970-626-2299.
If you have been scammed, please report it to your local law enforcement agency in the city/county where you reside.
Ouray County Sheriff’s Office: 970-325-7272
Ouray Police Department: 970-325-7071
Ridgway Marshal’s Office: 970-626-5196
Protecting Your Account
You can protect your benefits by freezing your EBT card to prevent new purchases, PIN changes, and ATM transactions. You can access this feature at any time by:
- Logging into the MyCoBenefits mobile app
- Logging into the ebtEDGE mobile app
- Logging into the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal
You can also block out-of-state or online transactions using the ebtEDGE mobile app or Cardholder Portal.
You may also refer to the Colorado Department of Human Services website for more tips in protecting against EBT fraud. It’s recommended that you:
- Change the PIN often, as skimming devices can easily identify card and PIN information. A best practice is changing your PIN before getting your monthly benefits.
- Choose a unique four (4) digit PIN by calling EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 or through the Cardholder Portal.
- Avoid using high-risk PINs that may be easily identifiable such as 1234, 1111, etc., or a number sequence known to others, such as year of birth.
- Never write the PIN on the card or store it with your card.
- Cover the keypad while entering the PIN at an ATM or a Point of Sale (POS) device.
- Avoid questionable ATM or Point of Sale (POS) devices when possible.
If you suspect suspicious activity related to your EBT account, immediately call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656.