Summit County Executive Shapiro is urging residents to take extra precautions against fraudsters when making transactions in person at a card reader. There have been increased reports of card skimming throughout Summit County, specifically targeting Ohio SNAP EBT and cash assistance clients.
Criminals will place card skimmers on point-of-sale card readers at stores. The card skimmers allow them to capture your card and PIN numbers without you knowing and steal your SNAP benefits for their own use.
While scammers are specifically targeting SNAP EBT cards, card skimming can happen to anyone who uses a credit or debit card, too.
Residents can take the following steps to help keep their credit, debit, and EBT cards safe.
ï‚· Do NOT share your card number or PIN with anyone in-person, phone, text or email ï‚· Do NOT share a picture of your card for any reason to anyone
 Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN and do NOT use an easy pin like 1234 or 1111  Monitor your account and card statements regularly for any unusual transactions  Set up Card Alerts to notify you of new transactions (purchases, returns, deposits, etc.)  If you notice any transactions you don’t recognize, change your PIN, lock your card, and
notify your bank or Summit County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS)Â immediately
To report electronic theft of SNAP benefits, please contact Summit County DJFS investigations unit at 844-640-6446, option 6.
