Protect your EBT & SNAP card from skimmers.

Before anything else: SkimGuard costs nothing. There's no subscription, no ads, and no paid tier — signing in is optional. If you're on SNAP or EBT, money is tight, and protecting your card shouldn't cost you a cent. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and use it at the register or the ATM as often as you like.

Why EBT and SNAP cards get targeted

Most bank cards now carry an EMV chip, which is very hard to clone. Many EBT cards don't have that chip — they're magnetic-stripe only. The data on a magnetic stripe is easy for a skimmer to copy, and once a thief has that copy they can clone your card and drain it.

On top of that, benefits are usually spent soon after they load each month. A thief who skims your card and empties the balance is taking real, immediate money — and for a household that depends on those benefits to eat, a drained balance is devastating.

Where skimming happens

• Checkout card readers at grocery and retail stores — the point-of-sale terminal you tap or swipe at the register.
• ATMs, if you use the cash-assistance portion of your benefits to withdraw money.

• Give the reader a quick check. Wiggle the card slot and look at the keypad. A skimmer overlay is often loose, bulky, or a slightly different color or shape than the rest of the machine. If something feels off, don't use it.
• Always cover the keypad with your other hand when you type your PIN, in case a hidden pinhole camera is watching.
• Change your PIN regularly — especially right before your benefits load each month, so a stolen old PIN is useless when the money arrives.
• Prefer a staffed lane and an ATM inside a store when you can — those are harder for thieves to tamper with unnoticed.
• Scan before you pay with the free SkimGuard app. Open it at the terminal or ATM and it listens to nearby Bluetooth for skimmer hardware, then shows you a Good, Warning, or Alert result for that spot.

• 🔴 Alert — a suspicious device was detected. Don't use this reader; tell a staff member.
• 🟢 Good — scanned, nothing suspicious found. A good sign, not a guarantee.
• ⚪ No data — not scanned recently. Unknown, not safe — check it physically.

If you think your card was skimmed or your benefits were drained, move quickly:

• Call your state's EBT customer service immediately. The phone number is printed on the back of your card — that's the number to use.
• Change your PIN right away so the thief can't take anything more.
• Report the theft to your local benefits office or caseworker and ask them what to do next.