Prepare a Crash Plan in Case Your Cards Are Stolen

I can happen to anyone at any time. You reach for your wallet and notice it’s missing. Or you open up your purse to grab a card, and the cards are gone. Pickpocketing and theft are unfortunately common occurrences and can leave you feeling like you have few options. But there are some steps you can take right now that will help you recover from theft of your cards.

It Happened at TrustDALE

Here at TrustDALE, we are pretty well-informed consumers. After all, we deal with hundreds of complaints and consumer problems every year. We’ve seen all the tricks that crooked businesses use to defraud consumers, and we know how to avoid them. That’s why Shea, one of our TrustDALE team members, was so shocked when she found that all of her cards had been stolen.

Luckily, Shea had taken some steps ahead of time that helped minimize the damage. The most important thing Shea had done—and something we recommend every consumer should do—is to activate fraud alerts on all her cards. Most credit card companies offer free services that will alert you of suspicious purchasing patterns on your accounts. That’s how Shea found out that her cards had been stolen. She got an alert from one of her cards. It’s only then that she realized the extent of the problems. All of her cards were gone.

Preparing a Crash Plan

What can you do if your cards are stolen? The most important thing to do is to put a hold on all of your cards so that no more transactions can be made with the cards. Then, you will have to work with each card that was used to reverse the charges and hopefully get your money back. It can be an overwhelming process, but a little preparation can make it much easier.

• Keep an inventory of your cards. Make sure you know all of the cards you have in your wallet and keep a record of the account number for each card.
• Along with the account number, keep a record of the customer service or fraud service number for each card.
• Sign up for fraud alerts for each credit card you own. It’s usually free.
• Keep a backup card at home, in addition to the cards in your wallet. That way you have access to at least one card in case your wallet is stolen.
• Ask your bank for an ATM card instead of a credit/debit card. An ATM card can be used only to withdraw cash at an ATM and only with your PIN. But if a thief gets your debit card, they can quickly drain your account, and it’s almost impossible to recover the stolen cash.

TrustDALE Goes the Extra Mile

The crook who stole Shea’s cards messed with the wrong consumer. Here at TrustDALE, we don’t take fraud and theft lying down. Shea filed a theft report with the Powder Springs Police Department. She also found out from her credit card company exactly when and where the fraudulent purchases were made. She took that information to the police, and they were able to get security camera footage of the thief in action. Once we had that footage, we shared it on our Facebook page as well as right here on our blog.

If you recognize this thief, please call TrustDALE or the Powder Springs Police Department. Together, let’s stop this crook before he does any more harm.