Do you worry about losing your wallet?
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine, do both sides of each license, credit
card, etc.
In the event you lose your wallet, you will know
what you had in your wallet and all of the account
numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.
Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
We have all heard horror stories about fraud and
identity theft that's committed with our name,
address, SS#, credit, etc. People's wallets are
lost or stolen and within a short time thieve(s)
can order expensive items and put a lot of charges
on your cards. They can even apply for a new credit
card, have the credit line approved and buy expensive
items on the new card. They can even receive a PIN
number from DMV to change your driving record
information online, and more.
But here's some critical information to limit the
damage in case this happens to you or someone you
know. As everyone always advises, cancel your credit
cards immediately, but the key is having the toll free
numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom
to call. Keep those where you can find them easily.
File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers
you were diligent, and is a first step toward an
investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important: ASAP call
the three national credit reporting organizations
immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and
SS#. I had never heard of doing that until someone
was advised by a bank that called to tell them that
an application for credit was made over the Internet
in their name. The alert means any company that checks
your credit knows your information was stolen and they
have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.