Report Fraud

Take the following steps as soon as possible after losing your wallet or purse.

Close Your Credit and Debit Cards

Call Seattle Credit Union and your other credit card companies as soon as you realize your cards are missing, especially if you suspect they were lost in a public place or stolen. While it might be tempting to wait a few days before calling just in case the wallet turns up, it’s a temptation you should avoid. The longer you wait to report the card missing, the more time a potential thief has to rack up charges on your account. This is especially true for debit cards, which may not always have the same fraud liability policies that credit cards do. Shutting down your cards may be inconvenient, but it will protect you in the long run.

Place Stop Payments on Your Checks

If your purse or wallet contained blank checks, call Seattle Credit Union to put stops on those check numbers. Again, time is of the essence. Since many merchants are now able to clear checks electronically, it doesn’t take long for someone to use your checks to steal your money.

If you have a checking account and VISA^® with Seattle Credit Union, you can make one call to Member Services to report a loss. A helpful representative can cancel your Seattle Credit Union VISA^® and Seattle Credit Union Debit or ATM card and can stop payments on checks.

Report Your Driver’s License Missing

Call the Department of Licensing to report your license missing. They will guide you through the steps of getting it replaced and can flag the existing license record in case someone tries to use it.

File a Police Report

Call your police department’s non-emergency line to fill out a report; you may need the report to dispute fraudulent transactions to your bank or credit card accounts. The Seattle Police Department Non-Emergency phone number is listed below.

Contact the Credit Bureaus

Call all three national credit reporting agencies to put a credit warning on your credit report. If someone tries to apply for credit in your name, the warning will help slow them down. Contact information for all three bureaus is listed below.

Update Recurring Payments to Debit or Credit Cards

Once you have a new credit card or debit card number, contact any businesses with whom you have an automatic payment set up to provide them with your new card information.

Monitor Your Statements and Credit Reports

Get in the habit of taking a few minutes to read through your checking account and credit card statements as soon as you get them. This is a good idea at any time, but especially after you’ve had any personal information go missing. If you notice anything that shouldn’t be there, call the issuing institution immediately.

At least once a year, you should also review your credit report. Each of the three major credit bureaus will give you one free copy every 12 months. You’ll be able to see if anyone is using your credit without authorization and if reporting companies have made any mistakes. Visit annualcreditreport.com for more details. This site is sponsored by the credit bureaus and requires no subscription to receive the reports.

Don’t keep SSN card, PINs, or passwords in your wallet

Keep your social security card and other private information in a secure place, separate from your driver’s license, credit cards, and debit cards. This makes it more difficult for someone to access your accounts or open credit in your name.

Keep a record of your accounts

Keep a list of all of your accounts in a secure place with contact numbers for the issuing companies. This list will come in handy if you do lose your wallet or purse and need to quickly shut the cards down.

Keep an emergency credit card

An emergency credit card kept separate from your purse or wallet can come in handy when you have to cancel other cards. You can use the emergency account while the other cards are being reissued.

More information

Federal Trade Commission: What to Do If Your Personal Information Has Been Compromised

Credit Bureau Contact Information

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
• Experian: 1-800-493-1058
• TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800

Seattle Police Department Non-Emergency Phone Number: 206.625.5011