HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Victims are sharing their experiences after scammers changed their lives with a single swipe.

There have been more than 800 reports filed in the Piedmont Triad of card skimmers impacting people’s EBT cards. Most of the cases are in Guilford, Randolph and Yadkin counties. Nearly a dozen linked to two Walmart stores in High Point were reported in January.

Emily Deaton, a mother of four, lost nearly $800 after a trip to the Walmart on North Main Street in High Point where she had gone to buy party supplies for her 2-year-old son’s birthday.

“They had said I had $6 left, and I had almost $800 in food stamps the day before,” she said.

Now, Deaton said she has to wait until Feb. 15 for her benefits to be refilled.

The Deatons are one of at least 600 households that have reported card skimming to the state EBT call center. On average, people are losing upward of $500 dollars in food benefits.

Eleven reports from High Point since the first of the year show that $4,000 was taken from the victims.

“I don’t see how they sleep at night there has to be a better way for people to make a living.”

Another victim reported losing more than $500 at the South Main Street Walmart in mid-January, leaving only $11 for necessities for his wife and two toddlers.

The situation is even more difficult because the USDA does not have a replacement procedure for stolen benefits. People might never see the money they lost.

However, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services NCDHHS is working with the USDA to get federal approval to reimburse stolen funds as quickly as possible.

People who used their cards at those High Point Walmart locations or those who think they have been the victim of a card skimmer at another location can call the number on the back of their EBT card.

If there’s fraudulent activity on your EBT card, request a replacement by calling a local Department of Social Services office or by calling 336-641-3000 or your local police department.

Officials also say people should create an EBT EDGE account, which allows out-of-state and online transactions to be blocked.