FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The California Department of Social Services announced some critical changes to EBT point-of-sale systems that will begin after the New Year and will affect both consumers and merchants.   The Kings County Human Services Agency issued an urgent notice to all merchants who accept EBT and SNAP of the changes being made across the state.  "We wanted people to just be mindful that there's still the potential for individuals to do skimming and scanning," said Antoinette Gonzales, King County deputy director. "We've learned of different scams and different things that would transpire." Antoinette Gonzales says the changes are being made to prevent those types of electronic crimes and they are encouraging merchants to update their systems to allow for the new cards to be used.  "The State's going to be providing a chip/tap card now which is more secure than the current card that exists," she said.  In Kings County alone, Gonzales said 243 merchant locations will be impacted by the chip and tap change.  They said merchants who want the extra security will be required to update the software on their point-of-sale machines.  "The consumers can still use the old card," she said. "If you have the old card, you can still use your card. If you have the updated card at an older POS device it's just that you're going to be swiping it." And, although at these locations the older card can be used, Gonzales said it won't be as secure for either the business or the consumer.  For more information visit getcalfresh.org.