Stolen Wallet: Advice for Dealing with the Aftermath

[EnumaElish]

Someone entered the office building and stole purses and wallets, including my wallet.

I've just canceled my credit cards and my ATM card.

My social security card is gone, as well as my driver's license.

I might have had my home address and telephone number in it -- I don't even remember everything I've had in it.

Anyone who has dealt with this situation before? Any and all suggestions welcome.

 

[Moonbear]

First and foremost, make sure you have a police report filed. If you have later problems with something that was in the wallet that you forgot was in there and didn't cancel, you'll need that police report. You'll also need that to help get your SS card and DL replaced (in the future NEVER carry your SS card in your wallet...you don't need it and you really don't want it in other people's hands).

Second, since they have quite a lot of your personal info in one fell swoop, call up one of the big three credit reporting agencies and put a fraud notification/hold/whatever it was called on your report along with a phone number so you get a call if anyone tries to get credit in your name. This will prevent people from using your information to start taking out loans, etc.

Third, call your bank and tell them the same thing, that your wallet was stolen along with your ATM card and SS#, so if anyone tries draining your bank account (other than with the ATM card that's cancelled), they don't let it happen.

If your home address was in it, change your door locks.

You're going to have fun replacing things without a SS card or DL...so work on getting those replaced first.

That's all I can suggest. And from now on, don't leave your wallet in your desk if you can't lock it when you walk away.

 

[hypatia]

Yes, they really hit the jackpot with your SS card. They could buy several large items, befor you even know about it. Hope you made the police report today.

 

[renigade666]

What could they possibly do with your SS card?
I thought it was only needed to get a job. :S

 

[EnumaElish]

MB, why should I change the door locks? I still have my keys. And the thief doesn't.

 

[turbo]

I don't travel any more, but if I was still in the consulting business, with all the hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc, that would have access to my CC numbers, I would seriously think about signing up for this service. I have had people fraudulently add restaurant charges to my card, and once, after a stay in a chain motel in Paducah, I received a CC bill charging me with many thousands of dollars in nautical fittings from a marina on the Great Lakes. AT&T Mastercard never called me to verify those purchases, even though I had never bought nautical gear before, don't live near Chicago, and don't own a sailboat. After that, they smartened up and gave me a heads-up call whenever I bought something worth a few grand or more.

http://www.lifelock.com/lifelock-for-people/what-we-do/how-does-lifelock-protect-my-identity

 

[Moonbear]

MB, why should I change the door locks? I still have my keys. And the thief doesn't.

Sorry, got carried away. Was thinking of purses stolen where the keys go with the wallet. Though, if you have one of those busy-body neighbors who's home during the day, letting them know to keep an extra eye on your place might be a good idea, since the thief now knows what time you're away at work.

 

[turbo]

Sorry, got carried away. Was thinking of purses stolen where the keys go with the wallet.

That is a really high-risk situation for women. They often have EVERYTHING in their purses, including car keys, house keys, electronic fobs for unlocking their cars, etc, etc. A thief can use a fob to identify a car in the parking lot, navigate to the woman's home, possibly use her remote garage-door opener to gain access to the house, if attached, and hide the car from the neighbors while ransacking the place. My wife has a locker at work, and her purse is in it all the time that she is there, otherwise I would ask her to adopt much more stringent security measures.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

Wow, my sympathies man, that is soooo incredibly frustrating when something like that happens.

I don't have law enforcement experience but it seems to me that the the thief is in a good situation to do identity theft, the last thing he would want to do is break into your house or do anything in connection to you personally that would make him more traceable. He's no more likely to be a random crazy person that someone who simply sees you on the street.

I would expect that the most likely thing for him to do would be to try to sell your identity online since he's got the “full package” so to speak. I can't think of any easy way to Google for him putting the stuff up for sale but it would be awesome if there was some way for you to catch him that way… is it worth asking your state DMV, while you're getting a new driver's license, if it's possible to “cancel” your driver's license number? In my state they have a two-digit serial included with everything else which I assume could be changed for you.

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[larkspur]

Someone entered the office building and stole purses and wallets, including my wallet.

I've just canceled my credit cards and my ATM card.

My social security card is gone, as well as my driver's license.

I might have had my home address and telephone number in it -- I don't even remember everything I've had in it.

Anyone who has dealt with this situation before? Any and all suggestions welcome.

Yes, that has happened to me. Someone in my office was too lazy to carry their key when they went out of the office so they left the back door unlocked. The thief walked in through the back door which was right next to my office and stole my wallet out of my purse that was in the desk drawer. The building security found my wallet in the stairwell. All the cash (about $12) was gone but thankfully everything else was still there.

 

[turbo]

Yes, that has happened to me. Someone in my office was too lazy to carry their key when they went out of the office so they left the back door unlocked. The thief walked in through the back door which was right next to my office and stole my wallet out of my purse that was in the desk drawer. The building security found my wallet in the stairwell. All the cash (about $12) was gone but thankfully everything else was still there.

Oh, that was lucky! I'd rather have several hundred dollars in cash stolen, but get back all the cards, IDs, etc. Everything that is really non-essential (like prescriptions, insurance cards, etc,) is represented in my wallet by photocopies, and the originals are here at home in the safe.

Stuff is sure weird these days. I was taking my wife to a post-op examination today, and we stopped at our credit union to deposit our state income tax refund. The teller at the drive-up asked me to take off my sunglasses, so I did, and then put them back on. She then told me that my sunglasses had to be off during the entire transaction. Then she asked me and my wife to send her (through the pneumatic tubes) both of our driver's licenses. Heck! We were depositing well over a thousand dollars to our checking account while leaving a cash withdrawal of only about $100. What the hell is going wrong with this country? If we were criminals, it is unlikely that we would go to a drive-up teller with video surveillance and ask for a tiny fraction of the check's value in cash.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

Stuff is sure weird these days. I was taking my wife to a post-op examination today, and we stopped at our credit union to deposit our state income tax refund. The teller at the drive-up asked me to take off my sunglasses, so I did, and then put them back on. She then told me that my sunglasses had to be off during the entire transaction. Then she asked me and my wife to send her (through the pneumatic tubes) both of our driver's licenses. Heck! We were depositing well over a thousand dollars to our checking account while leaving a cash withdrawal of only about $100. What the hell is going wrong with this country? If we were criminals, it is unlikely that we would go to a drive-up teller with video surveillance and ask for a tiny fraction of the check's value in cash.

Yeah, I noticed years and years ago that my bank didn't request any identification at all when I made a deposit and got cash back at the same time. Meaning, of course, that someone who got hold of a check made out to me could get part or all of the cash if they also knew where I banked - as someone taking delivered mail out of my mailbox might. It could simply be that they're all wising up to that because crotchety paranoid people like me have complained. Sorry. :shy:

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[turbo]

Yeah, I noticed years and years ago that my bank didn't request any identification at all when I made a deposit and got cash back at the same time. Meaning, of course, that someone who got hold of a check made out to me could get part or all of the cash if they also knew where I banked - as someone taking delivered mail out of my mailbox might. It could simply be that they're all wising up to that because crotchety paranoid people like me have complained. Sorry. :shy:

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The sad part is that they have photographs of each and every member, and the tellers can see your face by punching up your account numbers. When the security cameras (and the teller's own eyes) tell her that I am the person who opened the account, and I am taking a few percent of a deposited state check in cash, that ought to be pretty straight-forward. What's the problem? I'm baffled by the CYA procedures that have been instituted to restrict my access to my own money.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

The sad part is that they have photographs of each and every member, and the tellers can see your face by punching up your account numbers. When the security cameras (and the teller's own eyes) tell her that I am the person who opened the account, and I am taking a few percent of a deposited state check in cash, that ought to be pretty straight-forward. What's the problem? I'm baffled by the CYA procedures that have been instituted to restrict my access to my own money.

Wow, they have photographs of you! That's pretty impressive. Yeah, in that situation they ought to even be able to do face recognition via the security camera.

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[JasonRox]

I thought guys keep their wallets in their pockets? Like me.

I agree with Moonbear too. Don't carry your SS card.

 

[lisab]

I'm so sorry to hear about this...what a major pain in the neck!

Our building is code-protected (you have to enter a code to open the door), but I'm going to start putting my purse and car keys in my file cabinet.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm so sorry to hear about this...what a major pain in the neck!

Our building is code-protected (you have to enter a code to open the door), but I'm going to start putting my purse and car keys in my file cabinet.

Yeah, don't assume anything. You never know when someone will just hold a door open for someone entering behind them, or if the thief is even someone working in your building...or a friend or relative they let in and never considered following to make sure they left right after the visit.

I actually try to keep my car keys and purse separate...keys in my jacket pocket so if my purse is stolen, they don't get the keys too. And I lock my office door every time I leave, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Regarding turbo's comment about a thief using the garage door opener to get into your house after stealing the car...people I know who have to park their cars in places that are high crime areas will take their garage door opener with them when they get out of the car, not leave it behind.

 

[scorpa]

I feel your pain, that is a horrible thing to have happen. A person's wallet is the worst thing that can get stolen :( I hope I never have to experience that!

I always keep mine with me at all times or locked in my locker when I am in the lab. My car keys/house keys never leave my pocket and I don't even have spares for them in my house (learned that lesson the hard way). I also never keep my garage door opener or insurance info in my car, again always with me. Inconvienent but worth it.

I always keep my SIN card with me though, I know everyone says not to but I have saved having it stolen by keeping it with me.

It's sad the things you have to do just to protect your own belongings. I have my bicycle sitting in my living room because if I chain it outside on my deck it will be gone in a day :(

 

[Huckleberry]

Yeah, I noticed years and years ago that my bank didn't request any identification at all when I made a deposit and got cash back at the same time. Meaning, of course, that someone who got hold of a check made out to me could get part or all of the cash if they also knew where I banked - as someone taking delivered mail out of my mailbox might. It could simply be that they're all wising up to that because crotchety paranoid people like me have complained. Sorry. :shy:

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I once made a deposit to my bank and before leaving I asked for a balance statement. The teller gave me a statement that was close to $100,000, which is far, far more than I knew I had in my account. When I questioned her about it we discovered that she had deposited my money into the wrong account number. The situation was resolved right there, but If they had identified me before making the deposit then this wouldn't have happened.

Another time I dropped my wallet in the parking lot after coming home from work. The next day I was called to the office of the place where I was staying and they returned my wallet with everything in it. Some good samaritan had returned it. There was about $200 in it.

There used to be a television show about ex-cons who would stake out a house to rob and then break in. Then they would return all the goods and install a free security system in the house. I always wondered how they could do that and not be held responsible by the law. I think the situation was staged. But one thing they would often say is that burglars love getting personal information from their victims. That personal information equals more $$$. If they get your wallet they can watch your house, call to see if your home, maybe they have a key to your car or front door. They know if you have a CC permit or not. It makes their job much simpler.

 

[Benzoate]

I lost my atm card weeks ago and believe me , it isn't fun. Being the naive person I am, I did not bother to cancel my atm account and assumed the best instead of assuming the worst. A week later, I called my bank and asked them to canceled my account and found that $900 was spent the days after I lost my card. Luckily for me, my bank was able to recover most of the money that was stolen.

I don't even carried my social security card around now . Thats financial suicide.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

I once made a deposit to my bank and before leaving I asked for a balance statement. The teller gave me a statement that was close to $100,000, which is far, far more than I knew I had in my account.

Tsk, tsk - I believe the appropriate response to that is “I would like to withdraw $100,000 please.” Just kidding, of course.

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[Moonbear]

There used to be a television show about ex-cons who would stake out a house to rob and then break in. Then they would return all the goods and install a free security system in the house. I always wondered how they could do that and not be held responsible by the law. I think the situation was staged. But one thing they would often say is that burglars love getting personal information from their victims. That personal information equals more $$$. If they get your wallet they can watch your house, call to see if your home, maybe they have a key to your car or front door. They know if you have a CC permit or not. It makes their job much simpler.

They still have that show, and it is pre-planned. That's how they get all the camera equipment inside. They don't tell the occupants when they'll come back, but they've gotten an advanced agreement to do it. For some people, that new, modern security system is probably a great payment for letting someone ransack their house (the show takes care of all the clean up too), but I've seen a couple of shows where valuable collectibles have been destroyed in the process because they guy doing the break-ins doesn't even have a clue they're valuable, but he will snatch up things like credit cards, checkbooks, passports, etc., if he finds them, plus the keys to neighbors' homes, the car, boat, etc. If someone gives you a spare key to hold, don't write their name or address on the key tag, or list what your keys are for. My method is to keep the key on a key chain that reminds me something about the person...their alma mater, an animal they like, some color that reminds me of them, etc., so a random stranger would have no way to match the keys to the owner if they got ahold of them, but I can remember which key is which. On that show, they are always installing locked boxes for holding all the keys, with a combination lock or keypad entry, which I think is overboard. I'd probably forget the combination.

It's an interesting show. I'm not so into locking down my home like a fortress the way the final product of the houses on that show wind up, but the guy does have the mentality of your standard petty thief, so it's interesting to watch how he decides what to take and what to leave behind when he can only carry so much. He's passed over extremely valuable items thinking it was just junk, and taken some fairly worthless stuff thinking it might be worth something, and as I mentioned above, has ruined the value on other things not realizing that, for example, the boxes some things were in made them valuable, so when he ruined the boxes cramming them into a bag, he ruined the value.

 

[Huckleberry]

I think it's called 'To Catch a Thief'. I watched it a few years back and thought it was interesting. I've lost track of the show since then. In almost every episode the guy looks specifically for car keys. Then he loads up the family SUV with all his booty and drives off in their own stolen vehicle. They talk about securing keys inside the house and having a secure door between the garage and the home to prevent this sort of thing. They do go a bit overboard for your average home security, but I think it's mostly for entertainment value, and maybe some marketing for the hardware. I already have too many passwords swimming around in my head. The last thing I would need is more passwords to lock me out of my home. Not like I have much that's worth stealing.

What makes the show most interesting to me is the footage of the people watching their home getting ransacked. Even though they know that their property isn't going anywhere most of the homeowners have strong emotional reactions. I think a large part of the reaction to a burglary is in the invasion of privacy and the sense of loss of personal security. In real burglaries homeowners have to deal with the fact that that they will not likely ever see their belongings again, and the threat to their safety could be very real. That would be hard to deal with, especially for families.

 

[Huckleberry]

Tsk, tsk - I believe the appropriate response to that is “I would like to withdraw $100,000 please.” Just kidding, of course.

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Don't think it didn't cross my mind. Even if I was inclined to thievery it wouldn't work anyway. First of all, if a large sum of money is withdrawn there is a separate procedure. I would have been busted before they gave me any money. Secondly, even if I did make off with the money the rightful owner would certainly miss it. It would be a simple thing to trace that back to me because they could just review the camera footage at the time of the withdrawal and they would have the check that I had just deposited into the account with my name on it. Thirdly, It wouldn't surprise me if the account belonged to my father, as we have the same name and used the same bank. (Though I'm not certain how the error was made in the first place).

 

[hypatia]

Thats why you wear the ski mask when you go to the bank.

 

[Evo]

I'm so sorry to hear about this...what a major pain in the neck!

Our building is code-protected (you have to enter a code to open the door), but I'm going to start putting my purse and car keys in my file cabinet.

A buidling I worked in not only had security guards, electronic cards and mantraps (you use a card to gain entrance into a space which has another door). This room weighs you and lord knows what else, then you use your card again to go through the next door. By knowing how much you weigh (including carrying or dragging an object with you) entering and exiting they can tell if you left with more weight then you came in with.

Even though they had all of this, laptops and purses were stolen, but it was discovered it was some people in a cleaning crew.

Sorry to hear about the theft EE.

 

[lisab]

A buidling I worked in not only had security guards, electronic cards and mantraps ...

As the only woman in my lab, I could use one of these !

 

[dst]

A buidling I worked in not only had security guards, electronic cards and mantraps (you use a card to gain entrance into a space which has another door). This room weighs you and lord knows what else, then you use your card again to go through the next door. By knowing how much you weigh (including carrying or dragging an object with you) entering and exiting they can tell if you left with more weight then you came in with.

Even though they had all of this, laptops and purses were stolen, but it was discovered it was some people in a cleaning crew.

Sorry to hear about the theft EE.

So what happens if you're a really heavy eater in there?

 

[_Mayday_]

I've had a wallet stolen before luckily I only had a few coppers. My sympathies go out to you enuma!

 

[Evo]

So what happens if you're a really heavy eater in there?

Just hope nothing turned up missing that day!