Black Forest Broadcasting

 

…Tioga County ID theft investigated…woman escapes injury when SUV hits elk in Cameron County…Maryland resident arrested for drug possession in Cameron County….Residents alerted about SNAP Scam……

Tioga County

Mansfield based state police investigated an ID theft victimizing a 58 year old Millerton man. Troopers said someone fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits in the victim’s name starting on May 19, 2022. The investigation has been completed.

Cameron County

A Howard, PA woman escaped injury when her SUV hit an elk on Main Street in Sinnemahoning  early last Saturday morning. State police report Kendra Bennett was traveling west just after 1:00 am when the elk entered the road in front of her Mitsubishi Outlander. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene. Police did not reveal the condition of the elk.

State police at Emporium arrested a Columbia, Maryland man for drug possession after stopping a 2019 Nissan Terrano on the CCC Memorial Highway in Shippen Township Monday just before midnight. Troopers say a passenger, 19 year old Anthony Swann, was found in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Statewide

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services  is warning residents of a potential scam in which people, regardless of whether they are recipients of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), receive a text regarding an EBT card.

The scam, according to the department, is in the form of a text message regarding a problem with the person’s EBT card. The scam, according to the department, is in the form of a text message from a “[number]@dhs.pa.gov” regarding a problem with the person’s EBT card.

If you have received unsolicited text messages asking you about your EBT benefits and for your personal information, it is a scam. Do not respond so you do not fall victim to identity theft. If contacted,  inform the DHS fraud tipline at 1-844-DHS-TIPS (1-844-347-8477) immediately so DHS and other authorities can investigate.

Don’t Waste Your Money: Electric/water shutoff scams

DHS does send informational text messages to people who receive SNAP and other benefits from the number 1-833-648-1964. However, the department says, DHS text messages will not include:

Details about a person’s benefits, such as the amount of SNAP they are authorized to receive

A request for specific personal information, and/or

Links to unofficial sites; most DHS texts will direct people to dhs.pa.gov, COMPASS, or a site that ends in .gov, .org, or .com.

Pennsylvanians who have questions about whether a call, text, letter, or other communication is legitimate should contact the DHS Office of Income Maintenance. EBT balance and transaction inquiries, as well as card replacements, can be requested from DHS EBT contractor Conduent at 888-328-7366, according to the department.