The Employment Development Department (EDD) in Sacramento has issued an urgent call for Californians to maintain their guard against deceptive scams. The latest scheme, known as smishing , involves fraudulent text messages tricking recipients into clicking a link to supposedly reactivate their accounts. The messages falsely claim that such an action is necessary due to EDD’s transition from Bank of America to Money Network. EDD, however, has clarified that they will never request personal information via text message, email, or social media. Consequently, text messages seeking to activate a benefits debit card through a link are deemed scam attempts. Authentic communications from the EDD only link to websites that include edd.ca.gov . The Department has urged its customers to remain vigilant and take necessary measures to safeguard their financial and personal information. Resources for combating fraud can be found at the ‘Help Fight Fraud’ link.

For those who want to connect with the EDD directly, detailed information on how to contact EDD is available on the website eddcaller.com. This platform provides exhaustive information on reaching out to EDD’s customer service, getting through to an EDD Assistant, or speaking directly with a live representative. In combating scams and securing personal information, direct and verified communication with the EDD is encouraged.