A scary thing happened to me Tuesday night. I was shooting pool with some friends when a stranger tried to snatch my purse. I couldn’t believe it. My purse was a mere five feet away. The guy quietly swiped it, hid it beneath his sweatshirt, and sauntered toward the door. I was lucky. I noticed almost immediately, and the guy was apprehended.
For a few terrible moments, I thought he had gotten away. I began to imagine the hassle of replacing my credit cards, my driver’s license, and my ATM card (not to mention the songs on my iPod). What a mess. So, today, I’ve decided to post a few things you should do, just in case:
* Keep a list of all of your credit, debit, and ATM cards. This list should include card numbers as well as customer service phone numbers. You might also want to include the fraud hotlines of credit reporting agencies, so you can place a fraud alert on your credit report. You should keep this list somewhere safe and easy to access (but not in your wallet!).
* Because your Social Security number is a gold mine for identity thieves, never keep your Social Security card in your wallet. If your driver’s license has your Social Security number on it, you should contact your state motor vehicles office and ask for a replacement that doesn’t display your Social Security number.
* Never keep PIN numbers in your wallet or with your credit or debit cards.
If your wallet has been stolen, the FTC provides a quick list of what to do. And of course, there are lots of other things you can do to avoid identity theft.
Do you have any tips for how to make life difficult for purse snatchers?
The Hassles of a Stolen Wallet
A scary thing happened to me Tuesday night. I was shooting pool with some friends when a stranger tried to snatch my purse. I couldn’t believe it. My purse was a mere five feet away. The guy quietly swiped it, hid it beneath his sweatshirt, and sauntered toward the door. I was lucky. I noticed almost immediately, and the guy was apprehended.
For a few terrible moments, I thought he had gotten away. I began to imagine the hassle of replacing my credit cards, my driver’s license, and my ATM card (not to mention the songs on my iPod). What a mess. So, today, I’ve decided to post a few things you should do, just in case:
* Keep a list of all of your credit, debit, and ATM cards. This list should include card numbers as well as customer service phone numbers. You might also want to include the fraud hotlines of credit reporting agencies, so you can place a fraud alert on your credit report. You should keep this list somewhere safe and easy to access (but not in your wallet!).
* Because your Social Security number is a gold mine for identity thieves, never keep your Social Security card in your wallet. If your driver’s license has your Social Security number on it, you should contact your state motor vehicles office and ask for a replacement that doesn’t display your Social Security number.
* Never keep PIN numbers in your wallet or with your credit or debit cards.
If your wallet has been stolen, the FTC provides a quick list of what to do. And of course, there are lots of other things you can do to avoid identity theft.
Do you have any tips for how to make life difficult for purse snatchers?
