I just got an emai from someone who had her purse stolen this weekend. It contained the following items: expired passprt, birth certificate, car and house keys, business cards, credit cards, checks, driver's license, security tab to elevator at secured apartment building,ATM card, voter registrations card, and social security card. She does not normailly carrry all these things, but she had just gotten a driver's license and was going to renew her passport. Someone now has her picture, her date and place of birth, her home and work phone numbers and addresses, her title (she is an executive with a major company), all her keys, there really isn't much more a person could learn about her. She cancelled the credit cards. She was told that her information could be sold for $5000 or more. She is going to call the INS to report this. Does anyone have any idea what else she can do to protect herself? I appreciate any and all advice. Thanks in advance.
It might be worthwhile for her to sign up for one of those credit monitoring services - the ones that send instant notification when someone is applying for credit in your name.
If I was her I would put a fraud alert on file with all 3 CRA's.... This way if something happens or is added to her file they will not question WHY there wasn't a Fraud alert. I would get a new drivers license(DL) made ASAP. See if there is anything that can be done about stolen D.L. ( am not sure about DL) Call her AG's office to find out what more can be done concerning the passport theft. What is this selling her information? I have never heard of this!! It seems to me if you are a Fraud victim or in her case a Victim of Theft... it would be VERY illegal for someone, company, or an agency to sale her information if you demand in writing NOT to do this!!!!! I would also ask my AG's office about this as well...!!! Contact the Consumer affairs department (try to talk to a lawyer). They should be able to help her more. You could defiantly find out who else NEEDS to be contacted about this matter..!!!!!! This is just a few thing I thought of off the top of my head. If I think of anything more I will post them. Good luck to your friend
I think it's the thieves selling her information not legit companies and agencies (well .. they sell the info too but they don't get 5k and they do it legally and shouldn't if you ask to not do this)
If I had to guess it was because she had a passport in her purse. I'm not sure if this is the proper authority for a lost passport.
Oh yeah, the Fraud alert... had forgotten about that. That would probably be the best way to go and best of all it shouldn't cost. Myschae
If she hasn't done it already, she needs to file a police report for the stolen purse. Some larger metropolitan police forces try to discourage this ("it's time consuming, you won't recover the purse, blah blah, woof woof.") Make them do this. In the event she is the victim of identity theft a copy of the police report is essential. She also needs to the Passport Office of the State Department regarding the stolen passport.
Here are some other things: The FTC now has an on-line form you can fill out to report your identity theft: https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03 Or you can call toll-free: Identity Theft Toll-Free Hotline - 877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338) You can also notify the passport office online: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html 2 other resources: http://www.privacyrights.org/ http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
My friend was told to do this because of the possibility of illegal aliens or terrorists using her identity. Especially because there was so much information in her purse, including the passport.
Thanks everyone who replied to my question. I really appreciate it and so does my friend. This is very scary!!
Whoever stole her purse, in a city over 20 miles away, was in her apt. building during the night. Her keys were found by the mailboxess. This is getting scarier. She has had to go stay with relatives.
