Before Your Wallet Gets Stolen ...

By Camille Kovsky / AbileneMoms.com Head Mom / Special Contributor

It happened to me last week, on a Tuesday, a normal day. My purse was stolen, out of my car which was parked in MY garage, at MY house. I can’t tell you how much that infuriates me! And the part that makes me the most upset is that we were home.

I know you are going to ask, so yes, my car was unlocked and the garage door was open. I live in a “safe” area of town and never gave it a second thought to leave my purse in my car. In the time it took me to figure out that it had been stolen and call the police and credit card companies…the “kids” had gotten to the mall and spent $260 (at a store that will remain nameless) on my credit card!

No, the store does not have security cameras and no, the clerk that rang up the purchase, did NOT check for identification. That part is just ridiculous in my opinion. What teenager goes to the mall, on a Tuesday afternoon, and spends over $200 on a credit card without a parent? RED FLAG! 

After being very mad for a few days, my mood turned to depression. I felt violated. These criminals now have a part of me. Even the little things that were in there like my Tuscany’s punch card and my Hallmark Webkins stamp card, important receipts that can’t be replaced. All of those things that don’t mean ANYTHING to them but they did to me. 

Hopefully they will catch the kids that did this. When they do, my husband has a few jobs for them to do to learn about respect and honesty. 

In the meantime, here are a few helpful tips in the event that this ever happens to you. I hope it doesn’t. And by the way…I now lock my car EVERY time I get out of it, even when it is in my garage. 

Before your wallet gets stolen:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED.” (Although, some places like the US Post Office in Abilene requires the card be signed or they won’t accept it as a form of payment – write a check to the Post Office.)
   
   
2. Never carry your social security card with you in your purse or wallet. If you need to have it with you for something, be sure to return it to a safe place at home when you are done with it. 
   
   
3. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. 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. (I so wish that I would’ve done this!)

In the event that your wallet or purse is stolen:

1. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your wallet was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). Since there WAS a fraudulent charge on our card, my case IS being investigated.
   
   
2. Call and cancel your credit cards immediately. Provide the credit card companies with the Case I.D. Number in the event they need verification that your card was stolen.
   

But here's what is perhaps most important of all:

1. Call the 3 national credit reporting agencies and Social Security fraud line number immediately to place a fraud alert on your name. This can also be done online, and when you put a fraud alert on one agency, they notify the other two automatically.

• Equifax www.equifax.com: 1-800-525-6285
• Experian www.experian.com: 1-888-397-3742
• Trans Union: 1-800-680 7289
• Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271