Identity Theft
©
Leslie Sausage
The
problem of identity theft is an epidemic. Modern day
criminals acquire your social security number, your
mother's maiden name and one of your credit card numbers
and they pretty much have the keys to your vault.
The criminals steal from you armed only with these
three pieces of information and some forged blank
checks.
This following information may be helpful if your
are a victim of fraud:
-
Remove
the contents of your wallet and photocopy both
sides of each license, credit card, etc. This
way 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've
heard horror stories about fraud that's committed.
Unfortunately, if your wallet is stolen, the thief
may do any number of things with your information.
They may make purchases, apply for credit cards, get
a credit line from a company and order online, get
PIN numbers from your bank or the DMV to change your
driving record information online, and many more things.
Do
the following quickly to limit the damage in case
this happens:
- Contact
your bank and credit card companies immediately
- File
a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where it was stolen. It's the first step toward
an investigation.
- Call
the national credit reporting organizations immediately
to place a fraud alert on your name and social security
number. 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.
The
national credit reporting organization telephone numbers
are:
- Equifax:
1-800-525-6285
- Experian:
1-888-397-3742
- Trans
Union: 1-800-680-7289
- Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-027
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This article may be freely distributed with the following information:
Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas -- http://heart4home.net. |
