Fraudsters are preventing innocent Georgians from receiving prepaid government aid – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATLANTA — A Georgian whose $350 cash card was locked due to suspected fraud is still having trouble accessing the cash nearly two months after the problems began.

Georgia officials say they are trying to block these cards as quickly as possible if fraud is suspected. The problem is gullible people whose cars were used by fraudsters are having trouble reactivating them.

Newnan resident Kevin Kibodox told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray That he is calling three times a day, every day, but is not able to talk to a human on the phone or get help with his card.

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“When I heard about the card I thought it would pay my insurance premiums,” said Kibodox.

Kibodeaux, who was receiving food stamp assistance after losing his engineering job, used a Georgia Cash card to pay for his family’s monthly health insurance payment, only to receive a late payment notice days later Because the payment never happened.

“I looked and only then did I learn that my card had been deactivated or blocked due to suspicious or fraudulent activity,” Kibodocs said.

In September, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp provided nearly $1 billion in federal aid left over from the US rescue plan, a bill he opposed.

$350 cash cards being given to Medicaid, SNAP and TANF recipients.

In October, a channel 2 action news The investigation found how criminals and fraudsters are intercepting some of those cards that never reach the intended recipients.

Geneva Moon told Gray at the time, “Someone, somewhere is using it.”

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In the case of Kevin Kibodox, he activated the card successfully but is now locked out.

He can see on the portal that someone used the same amount he tried to charge for health insurance at an Apple Store in New Jersey.

A Georgia Department of Human Services spokesperson told us “DHS and its vendors closely monitor potential fraudulent activity and have taken decisive action to protect recipients, their information and their payments. Temporary card holds are triggered by “suspicious” transactions, some of which may actually be legitimate. ,

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Kibodox said, “I’m not pointing fingers at anybody, but I don’t think it got noticed at all and I don’t think anybody cares because if they did they would have called you back.”

DHS officials continue to urge those whose cards are locked to contact their card specific call center number.

The problem is Kibodeaux is calling this number again and again but no luck

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