Fraudsters stopping innocent Georgians from getting prepaid government assistance - WSB Atlanta

ATLANTA — Georgians whose $350 currency cards were locked up due to the fact that of suspected fraud are inactive having occupation getting entree to the currency astir 2 months aft the problems began.

Georgia officials accidental they are trying to artifact these cards arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable erstwhile they fishy fraud. The occupation is the guiltless radical whose cars the fraudsters utilized are having occupation getting them re-activated.

Newnan nonmigratory Kevin Kibodeaux told Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray that helium has been calling 3 times a day, each time but has been unbale to get a quality being connected the telephone oregon get assistance with his card.

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“When I heard astir the paper I thought this would wage for my security premium,” Kibodeaux said.

Kibodeaux, who was getting nutrient stamp assistance aft losing his engineering job, utilized the Georgia currency paper to wage for his family’s monthly wellness security payment, lone to get a precocious outgo notification a fewer days aboriginal due to the fact that the outgo ne'er went through.

“I looked and that’s erstwhile I realized my paper had been deactivated oregon blocked owed to suspicious oregon fraudulent activity,” Kibodeaux said.

In September, Georgia Governor Brian kemp provided astir $1 cardinal successful leftover national assistance from the American Rescue Plan, a measure helium opposed.

The $350 currency cards going to Medicaid, SNAP and TANF recipients.

In October, a Channel 2 Action News probe recovered however criminals and fraudsters person been intercepting immoderate of those cards that ne'er got to the intended recipients.

“Somebody, determination is utilizing it,” Geneva Moon told Gray astatine the time.

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In Kevin Kibodeaux’s case, helium successfully activated the paper but is present locked out.

He tin spot connected the portal that idiosyncratic utilized the aforesaid magnitude helium tried to complaint for wellness security astatine an Apple store successful New Jersey.

A Georgia Department of Human services spokesperson tells america “DHS and its vendors person kept a adjacent ticker connected perchance fraudulent enactment and taken decisive enactment to support recipients, their information, and their payments. The impermanent paper holds are triggered by “suspicious” transactions, immoderate of which whitethorn really beryllium legitimate. "

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“I’m not pointing a digit astatine anyone but I conscionable don’t consciousness that it was taken attraction of astatine each and I don’t consciousness that anyone cares due to the fact that if they bash they would person called you back,” Kibodeaux said.

DHS officials proceed to impulse radical whose cards are locked to interaction their paper circumstantial telephone halfway number.

The occupation is that’s the fig Kibodeaux has been calling repeatedly with nary luck

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