GBI looking into fraud concerns over $350 cash cards meant for most vulnerable Georgians

ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it is looking into fraud concerns over $1 billion in cash payments designed to help some of the most vulnerable Georgians.

In September, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp provided $1 billion in leftover federal aid from the American Rescue Plan, a bill he opposed.

The $350 cash cards were going to Medicaid, SNAP, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients.

Channel 2 Action News first alerted you to the issues in October when viewers said they couldn’t get access to their $350 cash assistance card from the state of Georgia but could tell someone was spending the money.

There has been confusion from the start about redeeming the cards. Social media channels for the state were flooded with complaints.

Now, the GBI confirms it opened an investigation into the matter in October.

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The Georgia Department of Human Services acknowledged to us last year that fraudsters have attempted to steal from the program, telling Channel 2 Action News in a statement:

“DHS and its vendors have kept a close watch on potentially fraudulent activity and taken decisive action to protect customers, their information, and their payments. Due to suspicious activity and out of an abundance of caution, a small number of Georgia gateway accounts were temporarily suspended or delinked.”

DHS said phishing schemes are also targeting the $350 cash cards with Georgians receiving dangerous phishing texts and emails from scammers.

If you need help from DHS you can call 833-907-0683 to file a claim for the potential fraud, or if you did not receive your virtual card via email, you can contact 877-423-4746.

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Criminals intercepting $350 cash cards meant for most vulnerable Georgians

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