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What to Do If Your Wallet or Purse Is Stolen

July 15, 2015 by 3 Comments

“My wallet’s gone!”

thief stealing purseAren’t those words horrifying to even think about. There have been several instances in my life when I truly thought my wallet had been stolen. Those moments filled me with such fear and anxiety I could hardly think straight.

Of course the initial reaction is to panic as your mind starts ticking off all the items that might leave you financially vulnerable. Information like credit card numbers, social security card, driver’s license and home address could be exposed and make you at risk to identity theft.

What I realized is that I needed to keep my head…panicking didn’t help. I thought through where I had been and retraced my steps. In each of my situations I eventually found my wallet and life returned to normal.

However, if you are able to confirm that your wallet or purse has indeed been stolen, take these steps immediately to protect your financial assets and limit your exposure to identity theft.

Your Wallet/Purse is Gone…Now What?

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Filed Under: Vices Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Protect Your Child From Identity Theft

July 13, 2015 by 11 Comments

Most adults realize the dangers of identity theft and take reasonable steps to protect themselves. However, did you know that child identity theft is a growing problem? In fact, The Center for Identity at the University of Texas at Austin estimates that a child is 35 times more likely to have their information stolen than an adult.

So why is a child’s identity so attractive to a thief?

3 Reasons Children Are Targets For Identity Theft

identity theft cartoonFor starters ­a child’s Social Security Number (SSN) is clean. The chance to obtain an untainted SSN that has no credit history or credit problems is very attractive. It is significantly easier for a thief to combine a child’s unused SSN with a new name and address.

Another issue is that securing a child’s SSN is also much easier. In many circumstances the culprit ends up being a family member or another person known by the family.

Social security numbers can be found in public spaces such as a doctor’s office, school, and on forms at athletic recreational leagues, clubs or other organizations. We’d like to trust the workers at those locations who set eyes on the forms that contain our kid’s information but some have used their position to gain access to SSNs.

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Filed Under: Kids and Money, Vices Tagged With: ,