What’s in Your Wallet?
UTAH – July 21, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – It was about midnight when I realized my wallet was missing. I knew where I had left it. I had lunch with some friends at Chili’s and paid for my food. I remember setting the wallet on the table. But being in deep conversation, the wallet never made it back into my pocket.
So there I was at home Saturday night, past the time I where I could call the restaurant. I went to sleep, knowing at 11 a.m., when the restaurant opens, I’d call and arrange to pick it up.
Sunday morning, 11 a.m., came and I placed the call. I talked to the manager, who checked where lost items are turned in, and then the bleak news. “Your wallet isn’t here, sir,” she said. I asked her to check again and told her where I sat.
“There’s nothing here sir,” she confirmed.
Panic began to take over. “How could it not be there?” I said.
There was a pause. “It’s not.”
I drove very quickly down to the restaurant to check around the booth myself, thinking there may be a nook or cranny it may be hiding in.
No. Not there.
I realized my wallet had been taken. I found out there’s not much you can do on a Sunday to replace your important documentation.
And by ‘important documentation,’ I mean the stuff that proves you’re you. Your driver’s license, social security card, credit cards, health provider cards and membership cards to places like Costco and Sam’s Club.
Trying to be proactive, I decided to go to my computer and see if I cold get the ball rolling buy preparing myself for a long Monday morning standing in lines at various government buildings.
I went on line to the Utah Department of Public Safety Drivers License Division and found the link to lost and missing driver’s licenses. I clicked on it and filled out the the form and printed it out.
They also had complete instructions on what is necessary to bring in to re-issue a license to you. Things like a birth certificate, passport, official mail showing delivery to your address and W-2 or 1099 forms.
I created a file folder with all the information the web site said I needed, so when Monday came I was prepared.
I went to the teller and explained what happened. She asked me several security questions, and within a very short amount of time she had my old credit card blocked and a new one in my hand.
My next stop was the Utah Department of Public Safety Drivers License Division. As I had already downloaded the right forms and filled them out, I went to an express window and was called within a half hour.
The agent, who seemed very relieved I had taken the time to pre-fill out the paper work, asked for the several forms of ID required to effectively prove who I was.
After a few questions, and $18 (which I charged on my newly replaced credit card) I walked out with my temporary license.
The Social Security Administration was my next stop on my to becoming a ‘citizen’ again. I called the main office downtown and was told there’s a satellite office near where I live on the south side of the valley. Within a few minutes, I was there and checked in.
After about a half hour I was called in and sat with a social security agent. I told her I had lost my wallet and was worried about the SS number being used to steal my identity.
Identity theft is on the upswing in the US and most criminals can use your SS card to steal your identity, the more advanced crook can get your personal information, health records and banking info.
Click for Some Facts About Identity Theft
I asked her about the difference in getting a replacement card and getting a new social security number.
She advised me to just get a replacement card, as issuing a new SS number would be a lot of work as every company I ever did business with would need to be contacted and my new SS number would have to be inserted in the system. She also told me that although identity theft is a major problem, the odds are very much in my favor.
Most stolen wallets, according to a friend of mine at the Sandy Police Department, are taken for the cash inside and the wallets are just tossed out. With today’s online access, credit cards can be shut off almost immediately and warnings are issued. Crooks know this too. So if a card isn’t used within a few hours of being stolen, it’s probably not gong to be used.
So, I opted for a replacement card which will be sent to me with in a few days.
I do have to replace a few more cards like my Costco Card, Health Insurance card and some other minor things I carry. But all in all it took a day to get the major items replaced, which isn’t to terrible.
Here’s a few pointers if you lose your wallet or purse.
You carry a wallet and a wallet carries a LOT of info about you.
Think about it! Every other piece of information about us is found in that one little leather pouch. Your date of birth, address, credit cards, health info and where you work (business cards), children’s information.
If your wallet is gone – call and cancel everything right away. The faster you act the less damage can be done.
Check with your bank to see if they off an app with an “on / off switch” for your credit cards. It’s a very cool control app to turn “off” your credit card if it’s misplaced or stolen. And it turns it “on” again when found.
Also have your bank or credit union notify any credit reporting agencies that your ID or Bank Cards have been stolen. This may help protecting you more and tracking criminal use.
Don’t forget to go on line and reset all of your automatic bill pay options like car insurance, cable companies, automatic withdrawals, gym memberships and subscriptions.
And remember to breathe.
I’ll let you know if my wallet is ever returned.
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