After working an 8 hour shift waitressing, I head to my car to go home- only to find out that my drivers window is missing and so is my purse.
Here are some fast and easy ways to prepare for the worst:
*Make photocopies of the front and back of all credit and debit cards, social security card, drivers license, checks and any other important cards or information you carry in your purse, car or wallet. Have a copy at your house and a backup with a parent.
*Save the emergency number on the back of all credit cards in your cell phone so if stolen, the card or account can be shut down quickly. Hopefully before the thief tries to use the information
*Check your credit for free once a year. At http://www.ftc.gov/freereports there is a link to get your free annual credit report. Check credit once a year regardless of whether or not you suspect anything- it is always nice to see what the car dealership or bank see when they run your credit.
These are tips that I have both heard about and learned the hard way. I got my purse stolen last winter from my car. I was parked underneath a street light in a restaurant parking lot surrounded by other cars and my driver’s window was busted out. The policeman who responded to the call told me that a few other purses had been stolen from cars that night at other near by restaurants. I had copies of all of my cards from when I had been abroad so I called my parents and we each began to call the 1-800 numbers and either close or put a freeze on all of my accounts. The banks track whenever someone tries to use a card and about a week later none of my cards or checks had been used. I was mainly irritated that my brand new purse was stolen but I had absolutely no cash in that purse, not even a penny. I was able to laugh in the end when I knew my credit wasn’t in danger and the burglar got nothing. If there is a next time, I might not be that lucky.
To learn more about credit/identity theft check out these helpful websites:
No comments:
Post a Comment