If your wallet is stolen you’ve got a problem. But if it leads to identity theft then you’ve got bigger problems.Identity theft can result if a thief takes your personal info and uses it to open other accounts for their own gain. In other words, it goes beyond stealing from your existing accounts. It involves opening brand new fraudulent accounts, using your name and personal information, so the new credit can be tapped by the thief.To shut down fraudulent activity you must go beyond simply contacting the issuers of existing credit cards. You must widen the safety net.This includes:– Calling your state’s department of motor vehicles and asking them to attach a “fraud alert” to your driver’s profile. Request that no part of your personal information, such as home address, be changed without alerting you.– Contacting any organizations or memberships if their cards were in your wallet. Have a fraud alert attached to them.– Contacting the big 3 credit reporting agencies immediately. Their phone numbers are as follows: Experian - 888-397-3742, Trans Union - 800-888-4213 and Equifax - 800-685-1111. Ask each one to send you a free credit report. All your […]

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