BOSTON — The state issued an alert Tuesday notifying residents that there is currently a scam targeting Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) clients.
DTA reported that scammers are trying to steal EBT benefits. They reiterated that DTA will never ask clients for their EBT number online.
The state agency offered some safety tips:
DTA benefits can be stolen through scams like skimming and phishing.
Skimming is a type of theft where thieves put a device on a store’s card-swiping machine to copy card information.
Phishing is where thieves use texts or phone calls to get you to share confidential information about your identity or card information.
The information is then used to make fake EBT cards. These are then used to steal money or SNAP from real accounts.
Skimming can happen anywhere you swipe your EBT card. Most of the time, that means EBT or Credit Card machines and ATMs.
To protect your benefits:
Change your EBT card PIN before each time you get your DTA benefits
If you get TAFDC or EAEDC, you can call your case manager to ask about having your benefits deposited to your bank account
Never provide your personal information, EBT card number, or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to unidentified callers, or to a link provided via text or email
If you think your card and benefits have been stolen, tell DTA right away and change your PIN. Learn how to report fraud.
How to change a PIN:
Call 800-997-2555 (the number on the back of your card)
Choose your language
Enter the number on the front of your card
Press 2 to PIN your EBT card
When asked for last 4 of Social Security Number (SSN), enter them. If you do not have an SSN, enter the last 4 digits of your 99 number assigned to you by DTA. If you do not know this 99 number, call the DTA Assistance Line at 877-382-2363
Enter your Date of Birth (month/day/year – 2 digits for month, 2 digits for day, and 4 digits for year). For example, 12 01 1989 for December 1, 1989
Enter your NEW 4-digit PIN; then enter it again.?Choose a different PIN from any previous PINs
Remember to keep your PIN confidential.
Know the Signs of Fraud
EBT/Credit Card Machine
Look for an overlay. It is bigger than the original machine. The overlay may hide parts of the machine.
ATM Machine
An overlay device can also be attached to the card reader/keypad on ATMs.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Friday Front Porch Feature: This Luxury Home Has Plenty of Amenities
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LENOX, Mass. — Are you looking for a big house to enjoy your days with a big movie theater, a sauna, and more? Then this is the house for you.
Built in 2004, this seven-bedroom, and nine-bathroom home is 7,073 square feet on more than an acre. The home comes with an elevator to the lower level to access a theater, sauna, gym, wine cellar, massage room, and its very own soda fountain.
The home also has a guest house with a saltwater pool. A multi-car garage greets you with heated floors.
The this home is listed for $4,950,000 and is located in the 125-acre, gated Pinecroft compound.
We spoke to Leslie Chesloff, the listing agent with William Pitt Sotheby's.
What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?
Chesloff: This gated Berkshire stone estate truly redefines luxury living in the Berkshires. What sets it apart is the rare combination of resort-style amenities and complete privacy. The property offers Canyon Ranch-level wellness living with a full spa experience at home — including a sauna, massage room, and gym — plus an eight-seat hi-def theater with wine cellar for entertaining. The heated, gunite saltwater pool and spa are complemented by a fully equipped pool house with a guest suite and complete kitchen, perfect for extended family or guests.
What was your first impression when you walked into the home?
The moment you step inside, you're struck by the quality and craftsmanship — those 300-year-old reclaimed timber floors set an immediate tone of authenticity and warmth. The scale is impressive but never overwhelming; this is a home designed for gracious living, not just show. The natural light, cathedral ceilings, and thoughtful flow between spaces create an inviting atmosphere that balances grandeur with genuine comfort.
How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of this home?
This home feels like a private wellness retreat meets sophisticated family estate. There's a serene, spa-like quality throughout — enhanced by features like the sauna, steam shower, and massage room — but it never feels clinical or cold. The Berkshire stone exterior and reclaimed timber floors ground the home in a sense of place and permanence. It's designed for people who appreciate the finer things but want to actually live well — whether that's screening a film in the eight-seat theater with wine from your own cellar, hosting poolside gatherings, or simply unwinding in your own spa sanctuary.
What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?
This is perfect for the discerning buyer who values wellness, privacy, and culture in equal measure. I envision someone who spends their days hiking or exploring the Berkshires, then comes home to unwind in the sauna or pool. They might entertain guests in the theater wine room, host multi-generational gatherings with family staying in the pool house guest suite (which has a full kitchen), and appreciate being minutes from Tanglewood, world-class dining, and Berkshire arts.
This could be an executive looking for a primary residence with work-from-home flexibility (there's an office/bedroom suite), a wellness-focused family, or empty nesters who want to host adult children and grandchildren in style and comfort.
What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?
Picture Saturday morning: you're sipping coffee on the terrace overlooking your heated saltwater pool, planning a day at Tanglewood. Your guests are making breakfast in the pool house kitchen — they have their own private retreat but are steps away when you're ready to gather. Evening arrives, and you screen a favorite film in your eight-seat theater, selecting a perfect bottle from your wine cellar. This isn't just a home; it's a lifestyle that brings resort-level wellness, entertainment, and hospitality to your doorstep — all within a secure, maintenance-free compound where nature meets luxury.
Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?
Absolutely. The home includes an elevator for multilevel accessibility, which is both practical and forward-thinking. The lower level is exceptionally well-conceived — a true entertainment and wellness wing featuring the eight-seat hi-def theater, wine cellar, sauna, gym, massage room, and even a charming soda fountain. The gourmet kitchen has been recently updated, customized wet bar, while outdoor living is elevated with the heated gunite saltwater pool/spa, firepit, and that incredible pool house with guest suite and full kitchen. Also, new HVAC system and heated driveway.
Thoughtful details like cedar closets, steam showers, central vacuum, and backup generator show this home was built to the highest standards.
You can find out more about this house on its listing here.
*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.
The Friday morning fire that gutted the Wagon Wheel Inn is still under investigation, and several people who were living at the motel have moved to another one.
click for more
David A. Morrison, 65, pleaded guilty Tuesday in District Court in Pittsfield, Mass., to the kidnapping of Laura Sheridan in 1981 and, in Bennington Criminal Division Court, to the murder of 32-year-old Sarah Hunter of Manchester in 1986.
click for more