I just got my wallet stolen with ALL my info... 12 credit cards, drivers license, SSN, even my Starbucks card. I've gotten most of the preliminary stuff done (it's a holiday weekend :( ), and will be going to the DMV, SSA, banks, etc. tomorrow. Any input / advice would be appreciated. Here's a couple of questions:


I'm thinking about having my Social Security Number changed - what are the drawbacks, if anyone has any knowledge?
Same with my drivers license number - if I change it, what consequences might I suffer / what other trails do I need to cover (with regards to the drivers license being changed from a previous number to a new one).
I have no photo ID - passport expired, and I have no other photo ID other than drivers license... will I need a photo ID to get a drivers license? Social Security card?
They have thus far hit my credit cards with at least 18 different charges. I am feverishly trying to get the police department to follow up on a "Ship To" address from one of the online purchases (Apple's "Fraud Dept" gave me the head's up). I am running into a stone wall because the sheriff's Dept. says it will take 7-10 days for the detectives to even SEE the file, let alone do anything about it. anyone know a way to get it expedited? They could nail the suspect TODAY if I could get someone to get off the dime but, so far, it's caught up in bureaucracy. Apple will only give the address to a law enforcement agency.
Any other loose ends you can think of I need to tie up? I am going to get a PO box and have all my mail sent to the PO box, contacting the utility companies to alert them, and there is a credit freeze and fraud alert on my profile... anything else?
Thanks for any help you might be able to give.

All i can say is be patient because its a long road. My sister had the same thing happened to her including her identity stolen for about 6-months before the investigators were able to prove that she wasn't responsible for the charges and it wiped her credit out pretty good. If i were you i would see about hiring your own investigator to help stop the identity theft and to keep your credit on the up..
Good luck keep us posted.

Sorry to hear this has happened to you.

If it's going to take that long for police to get involved...I'd be searching for some legal assistance as soon as possible. IMO

capt

one thing that bothers me is: they got your drivers license, that means, they also know where you live, thats if your license has your address on it. meaning, they could come around and see what you have. good luck

one thing that bothers me is: they got your drivers license, that means, they also know where you live, thats if your license has your address on it. meaning, they could come around and see what you have. good luck

Yep - Pretty scary. I also had my firearms card in my , so they know I carry... could be a good thing, cold be a bad thing??? :eek:

I am moving some of my "belongings" to a safer location, going to turn on the alarm when we leave during the daytime, and keep a clase watch from here on out. The bummer is we live in the country, have lots of "stuff" spread out through the different buildings, and there's no way to keep an eye on it all.

My wife had this identity theft happen years back. All they got was the SSN. Little did we know. We kept getting audited but they would never say why. Someone used the SSN to gain benefits in another state. It took about 3 years to clear up, move over all SS benefits to another new number. Many trips to talk to the SS people behind the little window, sorta like she was in confession.

You might go to one of the credit companies on line, have them cancel any available credit lines. Notify all financial insitutions, Apply for a new SS card, credit cards, etc as well as drivers license.

As for them knowing where you live, I have a song about that, " You can pass my window, you can pass my door, but you'll never pass my 44" .
Good Luck.

Yep - Pretty scary. I also had my firearms card in my , so they know I carry... could be a good thing, cold be a bad thing??? :eek:

I am moving some of my "belongings" to a safer location, going to turn on the alarm when we leave during the daytime, and keep a clase watch from here on out. The bummer is we live in the country, have lots of "stuff" spread out through the different buildings, and there's no way to keep an eye on it all.Good thinking, its just gonna be a nightmare for a while but you should take all the necessary percussions especially now a days.. Don't give up....

I feel your pain - happened to us three times - but we still have our wallets.
Call the card companies and they will put a stop on the accts, then issue new cards.

Same for SSN, they will change it. Most states, VA does, gives out an Operator's number rather than SSN.

I he LifeLock which, as far as I can tell so far, has done a good job in getting the credit cards cancelled. They provide up to $1,000,000.00 insurance against fraud for this type of thing. The bummer is that only covers half of it. I still have to go to the banks, deal with the utility companies, police dept, etc.

zdld17 - When she changed her SSN, did that allow her to keep her "history", but allow it to be, in essence locked up so no one could use it again? Or did it give her a "new identity" in which she had to build her credit, profile, FICA, etc. from scratch? I need my previous history for business purposes - dredit lines, etc. - so I don't want to sacrafice what I have built. But, the alternative has a dark side to it as well... if I don't change it, and the crooks have access to it, it could ruin my credit, as well as expose me to future fraud and access to my bank accounts, etc.

SSN will transfer her past into the new acct. No problem there. You should take your last SS work letter(?) you received in the mail to them for verification both you & SSN have the same figures.

General question: Why keep your SS card in your wallet? All I have in my wallet is one credit card, my license and a Costco card. I would think in this day and age less is more?

alan

General question: Why keep your SS card in your wallet? All I have in my wallet is one credit card, my license and a Costco card. I would think in this day and age less is more?

alan

I needed it for something a while ago and just never got around to taking it out. One of those things.......... "I never thought it would happen to me."

....You should take your last SS work letter(?) you received in the mail to them for verification both you & SSN have the same figures.

Not sure what you are referring to??? What is a SS work letter?

Not sure what you are referring to??? What is a SS work letter?Poor words on my part. The salary listing SS Admin sends you of the amount of money you have contributed since Day One of holding a SS card.

I just wrote a realy long post, but I hit the wrong button and it disappeared. I'm thrashed, so I'll just say this for now:

DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! I have gone through pure hell over the last three days and i wouldn't wish this on anyone. The Reader's digest version is... there have been over 30 fradulent transactions so far (almost all of which occured before I found out about it) and the police department AND the sherrif's office know ALL the sordid details... and there is nothing they will do about it, at all, for at LEAST 7-10 days. I know where the perp's live and they won't even follow it up until it hits the detechtive's desk, in a week or so.... and that's if I'm luckey. Ther eis a good chance they will not even follow up on it at all...

I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

I couldn't read it all but did you tell them how it happened ? OK, I can't do it ... anyway

A corporate Attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For"
line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

4. 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 also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(S) ordered an expensive monthly c ell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. 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.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 800-6807289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 800-269-0271

5.) Your local police department