Call: Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1.800.269.0271
According to the FTC, no federal law limits your losses should someone obtain your checks and forge your signature. State laws usually hold the bank responsible in this case, but the Catch-22 comes when they also require you to "take reasonable care" of your account. Stay in the law's good graces by closing your current checking account and reopening a new one.
Stolen Checks? FTC recommends you also get on the horn and
call the check verification services to stop someone from using one of your checks at a merchant's cash register.
Check verification services TeleCheck: 1.800.710.9898 or
1.800.927.0188;
Certegy, Inc.: 1.800.437.5120;
International Check Services:
1.800.631.9656
What should I do if my wallet is stolen?
Your wallet is like a gateway to your personal identity. If it’s lost or stolen, you should immediately notify banks and other companies, cancel your current accounts and activate new ones (with new account numbers).
Protect yourself, protect your credit, and protect your financial future with these simple steps:
If you’ve made a copy of every card in your wallet, get those copies and start calling the numbers listed.
If you don’t have a copy of everything, stay calm and try to remember everything in your wallet. Think about things like:
ATM card
Department store and Visa/MasterCard/American Express
Gas
Insurance – auto and health
Driver’s license
Check monthly statements for customer service numbers to call for each of those cards.
Call any of the three credit reporting agencies. They’ll flag your credit history to notify you first before any new accounts can be opened.
Equifax – 1.800.525.6285
TransUnion – 1.800.680.7289
Experian – 1.888.397.3742
Call the police and file a report if your wallet is stolen.
Check all of your statements closely for the next couple of months and continue to report any charges that you didn’t make.
Find out how and when to get a new driver’s license issued as soon as possible.
