The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is alerting residents about a surge in fraudulent phone calls targeting recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

These scams involve imposters posing as representatives from DHR or EBT Customer Service, attempting to steal critical personal and financial information according to information given in a news release.

Per recent reports, these scammers are deceiving SNAP recipients by requesting EBT card numbers, PINs and other sensitive data under the pretext of "verifying" or "unlocking" their accounts. Both DHR and EBT Customer Service have confirmed they will never solicit such information through calls or texts.

“These thieves are attempting to take advantage of those most in need of assistance by any means at their disposal,” Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said in the release. “It is vital for those receiving benefits to protect their personal information. DHR is providing a list of tips which can help keep this vital data out of the hands of these bad actors.”

DHR provides the following guidelines to defend against these scams:

• Do not share personal information with unknown callers or organizations.
• Hang up immediately if a call appears suspicious or scam-like.
• Recognize the pressure tactics of scammers urging you to "act now."
• Be skeptical of offers or claims that seem too good to be true.
• Do not rely on caller ID; scammers can use "spoofing" to disguise their phone numbers.
• Never disclose your EBT PIN to anyone.

SNAP recipients uncertain about the legitimacy of information requests should contact their local DHR office directly. In Baldwin County, the DHR office is located at 22259 Palmer Street in Robertsdale, and be contacted by phone at (251) 945-2400 or by email at baldwin@dhr.alabama.gov.

The Food Assistance Division of DHR administers the SNAP program in Alabama. For more details on SNAP, visit Alabama DHR Food Assistance at www.dhr.alabama.gov/food-assistance/.