« Take Your Kids to... | Main | Hit the Road, Not... »
 

Entry bubble The Hassles of a Stolen Wallet

By: Nicole | April 25, 2008 | Category: Money

Purse Theft

A scary thing happened to me Tuesday night. I was shooting pool with some friends when a stranger tried to snatch my purse. I couldn’t believe it. My purse was a mere five feet away. The guy quietly swiped it, hid it beneath his sweatshirt, and sauntered toward the door. I was lucky. I noticed almost immediately, and the guy was apprehended.

For a few terrible moments, I thought he had gotten away. I began to imagine the hassle of replacing my credit cards, my driver’s license, and my ATM card (not to mention the songs on my iPod). What a mess. So, today, I’ve decided to post a few things you should do, just in case:

  • Keep a list of all of your credit, debit, and ATM cards. This list should include card numbers as well as customer service phone numbers. You might also want to include the fraud hotlines of credit reporting agencies, so you can place a fraud alert on your credit report. You should keep this list somewhere safe and easy to access (but not in your wallet!).
  • Because your Social Security number is a gold mine for identity thieves, never keep your Social Security card in your wallet. If your driver’s license has your Social Security number on it, you should contact your state motor vehicles office and ask for a replacement that doesn’t display your Social Security number.
  • Never keep PIN numbers in your wallet or with your credit or debit cards.

If your wallet has been stolen, the FTC provides a quick list of what to do. And of course, there are lots of other things you can do to avoid identity theft.

Do you have any tips for how to make life difficult for purse snatchers?

| Comments [5] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: card  credit  purse  replace  robbery  security  social  theft 

Comments:

We welcome your comments and expect that our conversation will follow the general rules of respectful civil discourse. This is a moderated blog, and we will only post comments from bloggers over 13 years of age that relate to topics on Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog. We will review comments for posting within one business day. You are fully responsible for everything that you submit in your comments, and all posted comments are in the public domain. We do not discriminate against any views, but we reserve the right not to post comments.


Most Health insurance cards have your SS# on it also.

Posted by Citizen Jmaximus on April 26, 2008 at 09:42 PM EDT #

Hi, Citizen Jmaximus. It was once true that health insurance cards often displayed Social Security numbers, but the Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2004 made it illegal for employment benefit plans (like health insurance plans) to display an individual's SS# on ID cards. If your card still shows your SS#, you should contact your insurance provider and request a new card with a different ID number. You can read the text for this law on the Social Security Administration's website, http://www.ssa.gov/legislation/legis_bulletin_080504.html

Posted by Nicole on April 28, 2008 at 02:44 PM EDT #

Nicole, my private health insurance cards no longer have my social security number on them, however- my federal government issued Medicare card uses my social security number as the ID.

Instructions are to carry the card at all times, because one never knows when it will be needed.

Any thoughts or information as to when this practice will change, if at all?

Posted by FredD on May 02, 2008 at 01:34 PM EDT #

One way that I have learned to be safer with my financial and personal information is to take only what I need with me in a location where it's difficult to hold onto a purse. Carrying a small pouch or flat wallet with only ID, a little cash and maybe a credit card in a front pants pocket (zipper pocket if you're playing running sports such as soccer) helps, and then I either leave my purse at home or lock it in the trunk of my car or in a locker. Keys can be difficult, though...I have a breakaway keychain separating my car keys from my house keys, so I usually just take my car keys in those cases and leave my house keys stashed in my car. Most cell phones can be clipped to a belt or waistband or slipped into a pocket, if necessary.

Something else I've learned from traveling is to be aware of my surroundings and act accordingly. A friend of mine had her purse snatched from an outdoor cafe in Paris, and admitted to me that had she kept it in her lap or on her person, the thief would have had a much harder time. Instead, it was on a table next to her, along a crowded street, and she was turned away from it talking to someone. A backpack purse or one with 2 handles/straps is also harder to snatch while walking, as the thief has to cut/break two straps instead of one. You just have to watch out for pickpockets in close quarters! Many guys I worked with in Europe carried their wallets in their front pants pockets or inside coat pockets as this was more secure.

Posted by Rebecca on May 02, 2008 at 03:01 PM EDT #

Hi, FredD. Thanks for your comment. You're correct that Medicare still uses Social Security numbers on its cards. Legislation has just been introduced that would change this practice. The bill needs more support in Congress before anything will happen. You can read more about it here: http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=d5f7dea0-a5b4-48b7-b96a-e8a2881a4009

Posted by Nicole on May 06, 2008 at 03:01 PM EDT #

Post a Comment:
 
(Your screenname will appear with your message)
 
(Limit 2,000 characters; HTML syntax not allowed)
 

Please type 33 into the following box

Are you human? We do this because it is possible for search engines and other tools to submit this form, either accidentally or on purpose, which can cause unnecessary server traffic.