Top 3 EPPICard Scams and How to Protect Yourself

Website design By BotEap.comEPPICard is a prepaid debit card, usually issued under the Visa or MasterCard brand that is used by various states to send child support, unemployment and other benefit funds to recipients. The convenience of the card is that funds are automatically loaded onto the card, making it easy for recipients to access their funds. All EPPICards are managed by Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), which is owned by Xerox, but each state contracts with a bank to issue its own card. Recently, EPPICard holders have been the target of fraud, leading several states to issue fraud alerts to their cardholders. However, the problem persists and the scams continue to grow in complexity. Here are the top 3:

Website design By BotEap.com1. Phishing emails

Website design By BotEap.comPhishing emails involve receiving an email asking them to log into their account and check account status. There is usually a link in the email that you are asked to click to verify your account information. Once you click on the link, it takes you to a fake site where your account information is illegally captured while you are trying to log in to your EPPICard account.

Website design By BotEap.comTo avoid this scam, do not respond to suspicious emails asking you to verify your account information. If the email appears to be legitimate, please call your EPPICard Customer Service to confirm before clicking any link to check your account status.

Website design By BotEap.com2. Fraudulent Card Charges

Website design By BotEap.comThis type of fraud occurs when thieves obtain a person’s EPPICard card information and begin spending the funds on the card. In most cases, the entire balance on the EPPICard is spent before the cardholder is aware of the problem. A recent example is documented by the New Jersey Star-Ledger where Newark, NJ cardholder account information was illegally obtained and used to purchase items at Staples in Washington DC totaling $600. The cardholder learned of the illegal transactions when his card was denied when he attempted to make a purchase. That led her to verify her card transactions, which led her to discover the fraudulent purchases. These types of fraud are difficult to combat, even if the cardholder can prove that he did not use the card. Therefore, it is important to protect the information on your EPPICard.

Website design By BotEap.comTo avoid this type of fraud, do not log in to your EPPICard account from public computer stations, such as libraries and Internet cafes. Also, be careful when using free public Wifi to access your account information. Also, keep an eye on your EPPICard transactions and practice disposing of strong financial records, including shredding your statements and other sensitive financial documents instead of throwing them in the trash.

Website design By BotEap.com3. Text message fraud

Website design By BotEap.comText message fraud is the newest form of EPPICard fraud, where cardholders who have signed up for balance alerts via their mobile phones receive text messages believed to be from EPPICard luring them into provide sensitive personal information, which is then used to deplete your account funds or in the case of social security and date of birth information – used to perpetrate identity theft.

Website design By BotEap.comTo avoid this type of fraud, always be cautious when receiving any communication, whether by text, email, or phone, asking you to verify account status or provide sensitive information to confirm account status. . The best way to handle these types of requests is to call the card issuer’s official customer service number; in this case, you will call EPPICard Customer Service and verify if the request you received is legitimate. If it’s a legitimate request, insist on verifying with them while you’re on the phone. That way, you don’t have to click a link to verify your information, especially if you don’t trust the security of your computer or mobile device.

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