Participants frustrated with state's Cash Assistance Program - FOX 5 Atlanta

ATLANTA - FOX 5 Atlanta is getting spectator calls and emails regarding problems with the state’s currency assistance programme cards.

FOX 5 has received claims astir a scope of issues from deactivated idiosyncratic accounts to reports of stolen funds. One subordinate says she recovered retired her wealth was stolen from the paper portion trying to bargain groceries with her granddaughter.

"It’s embarrassing," said Tina Brinson. "I mean, I rung everything up and went to pat to wage and erstwhile I scanned the code, it said, paper declined."

"I called a manager due to the fact that it wouldn’t it wouldn’t springiness maine the barcode to effort again and she said they had respective of them doing that with currency assistance, today," explained Brinson.

FOX 5 examined a screenshot of Brinson's transaction past connection which shows the paper loaded connected October 4 and past charged connected October 10.

If you spell to the Department of Human Services’ Facebook page, determination are thousands of comments connected caller posts by folks citing problems. Comments scope from not receiving a paper yet to allegations of stolen funds and concerns implicit cyber security. Others cited issues with their Georgia Gateway accounts being deactivated oregon inaccessible.

"What’s unusual astir it too, is my Gateway, it doesn’t exist," said Brinson. "I can’t adjacent get in, it says I’m not a registered idiosyncratic anymore."

FOX 5 reached retired to the authorities and DHS accidental determination has been nary information breach and says determination person been phishing schemes tied to the program. DHS provided FOX 5 with this property release.

DHS besides provided FOX 5 with an illustration of a phishing scam regarding the programme and the section shared a substance connection asking idiosyncratic to travel a nexus and use for the assistance.

Brinson says she ne'er clicked connected thing nor gave retired idiosyncratic information.

"I connection my children, my family. I usage text," she stated. "But arsenic acold arsenic really going connected the net and going connected the pages, I don’t bash each of that."

"Since the Cash Assistance Program launched connected Sept. 20, 1,347,629 Georgians connected Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, SNAP, and/or TANF person claimed $471,670,150 and spent $344,306,826, the overwhelming bulk with nary incident," said a DHS spokesperson.

FOX 5 asked DHS what idiosyncratic should bash if they judge they person been a unfortunate of fraud oregon theft.

"Cash Assistance Program recipients tin study fraud by calling our card-specific lawsuit work enactment astatine 1-833-907-0683. Issues volition beryllium handled connected a case-by-case basis. When warranted, we spouse with instrumentality enforcement to assistance those who person been scammed," said a spokesperson.