BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services on Tuesday advised those receiving certain benefits to take steps to ensure their information is safe and secure. It follows reports of "card skimming" in Sabine Parish.

"Skimming" is a way that crooks gather personal data from transactional cards—like credit cards or those used at ATMs—and use that data to steal funds or other valuable assets.

DCFS says it believes criminals are targeting those using EBT cards and urges those with the cards to change their Personal Identification Number (PIN) to protect their benefits.

Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of skimming should contact police and DCFS.

The LifeInCheck EBT mobile app allows users to review their card activity, including most recent transactions and available balance, as well as reset their PIN. Cardholders may also access this information and reset their PIN by visiting www.LifeInCheckEBT.com or by calling the EBT customer service line at 1-888-997-1117.

Additional information is available at dcfs.la/skim.