Losing your wallet, or having it stolen is much more than a momentary inconvenience. Unless you properly cancel all your accounts, the problem can follow you for years. Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent some of the headache, and minimize the risk of lost money or identity theft.

Keep a Copy of Everything Inside Your Wallet
The key to protecting your accounts after your wallet goes missing is to contact all of your credit card companies right away. To do this, you need the information on the cards, as well as the phone number on the back. By keeping a copy of the card images, you can start calling right away rather than spending several hours, or even days, hunting this information down. If you’re an Orggit user, all of this information will be contained in your Wallet Report, and you can access it anytime, anywhere.

File a Police Report
This is the best thing to do when you suspect your wallet may have been stolen. While the police may not be able to locate your wallet, it will be easier to get a fraud alert place on your name and your accounts if you have filed a police report. It is also an important step toward recovering any money that has been fraudulently spent.

Call Right Away!
Calling your credit card companies, and the credit bureaus as soon as you realize something is wrong. They will be able to cancel your cards and protect your assets much more effectively if you do this. They can also get your new cards in the mail sooner when you call and alert them that something is wrong.

Long Term
You should regularly check your credit reports and account statements for suspicious activity for several months after your wallet goes missing. Being proactive about this can correct any issues much faster.

We hope you never lose your wallet, but if you do, going through the steps above can help you a lot. Visit Kiplingers for more great information about lost wallets and identity theft prevention.

  Follow us on Twitter!

Other Blog Articles
Taking Charge of Your Health
Ease the Stress of Caring for an Elderly Relative


Blog Home