PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) Four days before Christmas, Congress declined to continue funding replacement EBT benefits for those who have had them stolen. That means, according to a Dec. 23 USDA memo, the federal government isn’t covering cases after Dec. 21.

And there have been a lot of those cases in the two weeks since then.

The 10 On Your Side email account and tip line have received many messages about benefits being erased from EBT cards from parents who have children’s mouths to feed.

The scam or fraud problem isn’t new and seems to occur one of two ways.

“Thieves place an illegal device on an ATM or a retailer’s card-swiping machine to copy EBT card information,” according to the USDA’s website. They then clone the cards and use up the balance.

The Virginia Department of Social Services website says to be on the lookout for scammers impersonating its department from emails to texts to phone calls.

“Scammers may attempt to contact you with links to access your account or alerts that your account is locked,” the website reads. “VDSS will NEVER contact you through these methods and will only discuss your account through the official EBT Client Customer Service Helpdesk line at 866-281-2448.”

A VDSS spokesperson explained by email what to do if it happens to you:

“If a person believes they are a victim of an EBT scam, they should contact 311 or their local nonemergency law enforcement to file a report about stolen benefits,” the spokesperson said. “They should then visit the VDSS Apply for SNAP Reimbursement Funds webpage for information on how to apply to have some of the stolen funds replaced.”

Sen. Tim Kaine was asked about the issue during a call with reporters Wednesday and offered the help of his office in Virginia Beach.

“If you are victimized by that, feel free to call my office, the regional office in Virginia Beach, or frankly in any region where you live, because we would like to try to help you out,” he said.

Kaine also explained the funding provision was part of the farm bill, which Congress couldn’t come to agreement on back in December when they voted on a bill to keep the government open.

For more information or to reach out for help, people are asked to call the Snap Hotline at 800-552-3431.