According to the Arizona Attorney General, identity theft is the largest consumer complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission annually. Identity thieves can use your name to make purchases by stealing your checkbook, credit card, ATM card, or electronically getting access to your checking account. In some cases, thieves may have received medical services in your name or re-routed your tax refund.
Although you may think that the vast majority of identity theft cases involves hackers and online scams, a lost or stolen wallet or purse is often at the core of about half of the cases that have a known cause.
The following steps may prevent identity thieves from walking away with your wallet or purse.
Don’t Carry Sensitive Information
It’s likely that you know your Social Security number, so there is no reason to carry your Social Security card with you in your purse or wallet. Commit Internet account passwords and bank account PINS to memory and don’t keep written records in your wallet. The same goes for your checkbook, leave it at home. In general, ask yourself this simple question – Are you carrying anything that would be of value to an identity thief? If yes, stop carrying it around with you.
Make Copies
It’s important to make copies of everything you are carrying in your wallet. For example, your driver’s license, credit cards, insurance cards, etc. If you lose your wallet or purse, you will know exactly what the thief has.
Notify Appropriate Parties
Once you recognize you have lost your wallet or purse, you must notify all interested parties. This can include credit card companies, banks, the motor vehicle division, insurance providers and the three major credit reporting agencies. It’s also important to file a police report so that the authorities are aware that your wallet or purse is missing.
To learn how you can take charge if your identity has been stolen, visit https://www.azag.gov/identity-theft.
Morris Hall Can Protect You in Today’s Litigious Society:
We live in a litigious society, where over 1 million lawsuits are filed every year in America alone. Financial predators are looking for ways to take funds from others and often use litigation as their means to do so. At Morris Hall we provide your assets and your loved ones with important protections that can prevent financial predators from taking advantage of you. We do this through proper and current estate planning techniques. With an MH living trust, we can also protect your property, assets and loved ones from probate, estate taxes, gift taxes, creditors, Medicaid spend-down, conservatorship or guardianship proceedings, ex-spouses and more. A living trust also keeps your asset and beneficiary information private and secure to avoid giving financial predators information to use against you and your family. Without a living trust, this information will be made public. For those living in Arizona, we serve the areas of Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, Tucson, Sonoita, Arrowhead, Avondale, Goodyear and Tempe. In we serve the areas of , , Rio Rancho, White Rock, Alamogordo, Truth or Consequences and more. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment with an attorney in your area!
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
In fact, estate planning, asset preservation and probate law have been our only areas of practice. We are proud to have helped thousands of individuals of all levels of wealth and assets, people concerned about protecting their families from the devastating legal and financial effects of disability and death.
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