EBT Theft Drops 84% In San Diego County After State Issues Chip Card

SAN DIEGO, CA — Theft of electronic benefits transfer funds are down by 84% since the state enhanced security and issued chipped cards, San Diego County officials announced Tursday.

Nearly a year ago, the California Department of Social Services issued new EBT cards with chips similar to those in credit cards. The card expiration date, card security code and all personal information were also moved to the back side of the card.

CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief recipients are among those who use EBT. Additional safety measures include a new app called ebtEDGE that allows recipients to manage their accounts and a streamlined process to reset the PIN number of stolen or compromised cards.

"This drastic decline in theft shows what we can do when we work together across jurisdictions," said Alberto Banuelos, interim director of the county's Self Sufficiency Services. "Every recipient deserves peace of mind knowing their benefits are safe, which is a goal we've been diligently working on to protect our most vulnerable neighbors for decades."

The state's measures build off the county's own efforts to combat theft. In March 2025, the county piloted forced PIN resets for compromised cardholders, reducing theft by 80% amongst 30,000 compromised cardholders, according to the county.

About 405,000 county residents are eligible to use EBT cards. CalFresh customers use their EBT card to buy food, while CalWORKs and General Relief customers use cash aid to help them become more self-sufficient, whether that is paying for food, housing, clothes or other basic necessities.

While the new cards are more secure, recipients can take steps to protect their benefits. Those include changing your PIN regularly; monitoring your account on the ebtEDGE app or website; reporting suspicious activity immediately; and never sharing your PIN.