Tennessee Announces Process to Request Replacement of SNAP and D-SNAP Benefits for Customers Impacted by Skimming and Cloning Fraud

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) today announced that the department will begin accepting requests for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits stolen from households impacted by EBT card skimming, cloning, and similar fraud between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024. The review period will open on November 6, 2023 and close on September 30, 2024.

Starting November 6, 2023, TDHS will accept and process households’ replacement requests within the One DHS Customer Portal at OneDHS.tn.gov. Customers that cannot access the online portal to submit a request can retrieve a paper form at their local TDHS office.

·       For skimming incidents occurring between October 1, 2022 – November 5, 2023, reports must be submitted by February 5, 2024 to be considered.

·       For skimming incidents occurring between November 6, 2023 - September 30, 2024, reports must be submitted within 30 days of the date the customer discovered the fraud.

Deadlines to submit replacement requests have been updated. For more information, click here.

Only the following types of fraud are eligible for replacement:

·       Card skimming (when devices illegally installed on ATMs or point-of-sale [POS] terminals capture card data or record households’ PINs)

·       Card cloning (when data captured by skimming are used to create fake EBT cards and then steal from households’ accounts)

·       Other similar fraudulent methods (including but not limited to scamming through fraudulent phone calls or text messages that mimic official TDHS messaging and phishing)

All reports of skimming, cloning, or similar fraud will require confirmation from the customer verifying that all information reported in the request is true and correct. Customers who purposefully give false information may be prosecuted under applicable state and federal criminal laws. Customers may be contacted to provide further validation of their request.

Replacement requests may be denied in some cases in which there is insufficient evidence to support the request or the customer’s request for replacement is outside the allowed scope, including:

·       No transaction(s) exist

·       Transaction(s) occur prior to 10/1/2022 or after 9/30/2024

·       Transactions did not involve SNAP or D-SNAP benefits (P-EBT benefits are not eligible for replacement)

·       Household already received two replacement issuances for stolen benefits within the federal fiscal year

·       Request not submitted timely

Only fraudulent transactions related to skimming, cloning or similar fraud (text and phone schemes) can be submitted through this process.

Customers can track their fraud replacement request status through their One DHS Customer Portal account, where they will also receive notification of the request outcome.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritional assistance initiative administered at the state level. In Tennessee, SNAP is managed by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). SNAP benefits are 100% federally funded. The ability to reimburse SNAP benefits related to fraudulent activity is made possible by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. More information can be found here.

For more information on replacement benefits related to fraud, please visit https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/need-help-/tdhs-fraud.html. To report fraud, call the Office of Inspector General fraud hotline at 800-241-2629.

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (TDHS)

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) consists of multiple divisions with a unified mission to build strong families by connecting Tennesseans to employment, education, and supportive services. Led by governor-appointed Commissioner Clarence H. Carter, TDHS serves nearly two million Tennesseans to ensure that all state residents have an opportunity to reach their full potential as contributing members of their community. Among the many services and programs provided by TDHS, some of the leading programs include the Child Support Program, Child and Adult Day Services and Licensing, Families First (the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Rehabilitation Services for people with disabilities, and Adult Protective Services, along with many others. TDHS is an organization committed to connecting people to resources that help individuals, families and communities thrive towards long-term economic freedom and prosperity. For more information, please visit: Tennessee Department of Human Services.

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