Identity Theft Reference Page

My purse was stolen in June 2007. I have created this page in the hopes that it might help others who find themselves in the situation I was in. Good luck!

What you should do immediately after your purse is stolen:

• Call the police and report your purse as stolen. Obtain and write down the police report number, in case you have to submit documentation when you dispute fraudulent transactions later. Write down details such as the date, the location the purse was last seen, the time you called the police, who you spoke with, etc. You might want to request they fax you a copy of your report for good measure.
• Make a list of everything that was in your purse when it was stolen.
• Call your bank. If anything containing your bank account number was stolen (checks, deposit slips, etc.), have your account frozen until you can re-establish it in person. Re-establish your account as soon as possible, because if the thief has multiple forms of your ID, he or she might be able to snatch your bank funds just as fast as you can. If your debit card and/or ATM card were stolen, have them de-activated and request new ones. Note: Call about your debit card before your credit cards because you have less recourse on fraudulent charges made on a debit card than a credit card. The bank can immediately deduct the money from your account when the theif makes a purchase with your debit card, and also stick you with overdraft charges. Credit card companies, on the other hand, haven't received your payment yet, so it is harder for them to make you pay for the theif's purchases.
• Call all the credit card companies whose cards were stolen to have those cards de-activated and new ones (with new account numbers) mailed to you. Some phone numbers are easy to remember, like 1-800-DISCOVER. Lucky for me, my husband was with me, and his wallet contained many of the same credit cards I had had, so we were able to get the phone number from his cards. I could also have obtained the numbers from my parents, who had a key to my house and could access my filing cabinet, or I could have asked them look-up phone numbers on the internet for me, or I could have called directory assistance (411). When you call the credit card companies, you don't need to have your credit card number; they can track your card by your name, social security number (SSN), having you verify previous addresses, etc.
• Call your cell phone carrier and have your phone number frozen until you can order a new phone and get a new sim card. You don't want to be liable for minutes the thief uses, long distance charges, etc.
• Place a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus. It is only necessary to call one bureau; the one you call will notify the other two. The phone numbers are:
  • Equifax: 800-525-6285
  • Experian: 888-397-3742
  • TransUnion: 800-680-7289
  A fraud alert means that for the next 90 days, no one can grant credit to you (your SSN) without calling you at the number you specify, talking to you directly, and getting your approval.
• If your keys were stolen, have the locks changed at your home.
• Enroll in a credit monitoring service. I enrolled in Identity Guard's "Total Protection" plan for $159.00/year (www.identityguard.com). In addition to credit monitoring, the plan I chose includes $20,000 identity theft insurance, public record profile monitoring, and daily surveillance of the internet's financial black market and back alley chat rooms where credit card and social security numbers are traded and sold by identity thieves.
• Remain cool and calm. Don't be too mad at yourself; it's the thief who is the bad person here. Keeping a level head is what you need to do at this time.

What you should do next:

• If your driver's license was stolen, get a new one. In Colorado, they will issue you a temporary driver's license without a photo, which will do if you are pulled-over but will not get you into bars/nightclubs, etc. (Bummer when you're on vacation like I was.)
• If your workplace ID/security badge or keys were stolen, notify your employer and get new ones.
• Replace other cards that were stolen, such as your library card, Blockbuster card, health insurance card, etc.
• Replace other stolen goods, such as your cell phone, the purse itself, etc.
• If any other keys were stolen where you have the ability to change the lock, do so.
• If the thief uses your cell phone before you've had a chance to disable it, the calls will appear on your cell phone bill. Forward a copy to the police department you reported the theft to for follow-up.
• Examine your bank and credit card activity, online or over the phone if possible. If the thief has used your cards, checks, etc., call the institution and inquire what you need to do to dispute the fraudulent purchases.
• Please visit the following web pages. I found them very informative.
  • Colorado Department of Revenue, Department of Motor Vehicles - www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/wrap.asp?incl=identitytheft
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ and www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.shtm

What I would advise all women do to prevent their information from becoming stolen, or to minimize the impact if it does happen:

• Give a copy of your house key to a trusted relative, friend, or neighbor who lives near you. If your purse is stolen while you are out-of-state, you may need them to look-up phone numbers from your files for you.
• Don't carry ANY form of your social security number in your purse. (Please learn from my mistake. Despite graduating last year, I was still carrying around my old student ID from college so I could continue getting student discounts at movies and musuems. Unfortunately, my school used my social security number as my student ID number, and the thief got it. I have since decided that an occasional $2 student discount is definitely NOT worth risking my credit score or criminal record.)
• Have four or five credit cards, but carry a maximum of two in your purse at any given time. Try to memorize each card's customer service phone numbers (usually an 800 number on the back of the card). Keep the other cards safely in your house, so that if your purse is stolen, you will have back-up cards to use while waiting for your new cards to arrive.
• Don't carry your checkbook or deposit slips in your purse unless you need a check blank specifically for that day.
• Don't store PINs or passwords for ANYTHING in your purse. If you do write them down and store them somewhere besides your purse, be cryptic about them, for example, j-------h instead of johnsmith.
• Don't hang your purse on the hook in a public restroom stall. Do not set your purse down in the grocery store cart. Instead, keep your purse hung around your neck or shoulder at all times while in public. Lock your purse up while at work. If you have to make a public appearance without your purse, for example, you are a bridesmaid in a wedding, delegate the holding of your purse to someone trustworthy, or pack your purse with only beauty items (no ID or credit cards).
• Be vigilent about guarding your personal information.
  • Purchase a shredder, and shred unwanted solicitations for credit cards, as well as any trash that has your account numbers, social security number, etc.
  • When your credit card expires, cut it into at least three pieces, and throw away each piece in a different location (home, work, grocery store).
  • Never give telemarketers your credit card number, PIN, passwords, SSN, etc.
  • Never believe an e-mail that directs you to a web site requesting your account numbers, passwords or other personal information; if it is a company you *do* conduct online business with, type the company's URL yourself, or call the customer service number that appears on previous statements the company has sent you.
• Never put outgoing mail that may contain checks or tax documents in an unlocked mailbox.