Arkansas SNAP recipients will soon have access to additional security tools designed to help protect their EBT benefits from theft and fraud.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services is launching the ebtEDGE New mobile app as the state transitions to a new EBT vendor. The app is scheduled to become available to Arkansas users on Monday, July 27.
The new system will allow recipients to lock their EBT cards when they are not being used, block transactions made outside Arkansas and monitor account balances and purchases in real time.
The changes follow reports earlier this summer of Arkansas families having Summer EBT benefits stolen through fraudulent transactions. In some cases, families were unable to recover the benefits after the thefts occurred.
In response to those incidents, DHS required some recipients to reset their personal identification numbers and moved forward with additional security measures intended to reduce the risk of unauthorized transactions.
The state also plans to introduce chip-enabled EBT cards in the future. The technology is expected to provide another layer of protection against certain types of card fraud.
SNAP recipients are encouraged to become familiar with the new app and available security features as Arkansas completes the transition to its new EBT system.
