Dealing with a Stolen Wallet in San Francisco.
Sadly my wallet got stolen at Union Square in San Francisco last weekend. Less than two hours in the city and my wallet was gone!
This whole experience has taught me quite a bit. I was not going to write a post about this incident but maybe this information can help other people be aware of the fast pickpockets in the city or what to do in case your wallet is stolen.
Looks like this is happening a lot in the city according to one of the security guards I talked with. He said a group of young woman dress nice and wear expensive handbags and will surround you in the multitudes and take the wallet from your purse…., so ladies, if you carry a handbag, hold it tight in front of you.
What to do?
- Call your credit card and ATM card issuers. Cancel every credit, debit, and ATM card in your wallet as soon as possible to avoid fraudulent charges. Request account number changes. Don’t forget to set up any automatic withdrawals or recurring charges again
- Contact your bank immediately
- File a police report
- Contact the credit reporting companies and place a fraud alert
Just call one of these credit-reporting agencies. When you place a fraud alert, the agency you contacted reports it to the others
Experian – 1-888-397-3742
Equifax – 1-888-766-0008
Transunion – 1-800-680-7289
This fraud alert will require creditors to verify your identity before approving any credit - Report a missing driver’s license to your state’s department of motor vehicles
- Be prepare to spend several days replacing all the stuff you lost and track your credit for months after
The Rule of thumb is to reduce the amount of personal information and identification documents you carry and thereby reduce your risk of identity theft.
You don’t only lose your wallet or the valuable items that were in it. In my case, I also lost my sense of safety, security and my peace of mind ….everything was gone.
Feeling down is a normal part of the process…. do everything you can to avoid identity theft. Grieve if you must but close this chapter and let it go.
As a side note….I had a lottery ticket in my wallet. This is the first time I wish I’m not one of the winners 😉
