| | | | Pick pocket? Lost your Pocketbook or Wallet? |
Provided by Monica Levine-Sauberman from www.FamilyVacationCritics.com 
Your family trip does not have to be ruined if you lose your pocketbook or wallet, leave your credit card behind, or some unsavory character pickpockets you in a crowded theme park. While you can’t alleviate the headache, we have provided some steps that you can take to reduce the stress and ensure that your vacation is not totally ruined. The steps here take little time or thought – but you will thank yourself if you reach for that credit card and find it missing.
1. Be Selective. Clean out your wallet. Don’t take every credit card you own on your trip. Choose those that have $0 fraud protection and can provide you with adequate car insurance coverage, if you are renting a car. Do not take your social security card. No theme parks require this level of information. The more you take with you, the more you can lose. Also, don’t carry your pin numbers in your wallet!
2. Write it Down. Bring with you a sheet of paper that has your credit card number, expiration date and phone number to report lost cards for each of the cards that you will be bringing with you on vacation. Keep this list in a secure place (hotel safe) separate from your credit cards or leave it with a trusted relative at home. If you have to take the list with you, don’t forget to take it home with you.
3. Separate. Bring more than one credit card and keep them separate from each other. If one is missing, you’ll still have another to use on your vacation.
4. Don’t Be Obvious. Carry your credit cards separately from your purse or wallet. This is the most likely target for pickpockets and thieves.
5. Lost or Stolen.. It’s The Same! Realize that losing a card is as least as big a risk – maybe more – than having one stolen. There’s a lot going on during a family vacation and everything is very rushed. Before you leave your hotel room each day, check your purse or wallet to make sure that the credit cards are all accounted for. When you use your card to make a purchase, get into a “retrieval” routine that you do every time you use it. The routine may be as simple as your spouse – or kids – always saying “credit card” as you leave a counter. That will remind you to make sure you got back your card – not someone else’s – and took it with you. You might even make it a fun game for the kids with some reward at the end of the day if they do it 100% of the time.
6. Sign It. Before you leave for vacation, make certain that all credit cards that you are taking have been signed. It’s a no brainer for a thief to sign your virgin credit card and go on a spending spree.
7. Travel Products. Consider purchasing some nifty travel products that help you carry and protect your personal information. (need examples here)
OK. You’ve taken some steps to protect yourself but you still have a card, wallet or purse stolen or lost. What do you do next??
1. Don’t Panic. You have some steps you need to take but you don’t want to
stressed out the kids and ruin your vacation.
2. Make Some Calls. Call the credit card company as soon as you are certain that the card is missing. But do take a few minutes to make sure it’s gone. Remember, once you’ve made the call, you can no longer use the card if you find it. Ask the credit card company to tell you the last few charges that have made and be sure they are familiar to you. Federal law limits your liability on credit card fraud to $50. ATM and debit cards are treated differently! For these types, if you report the loss of your card within 2 business days, the limit of your loss is $50. If you wait, then your loss can reach $500. Also, and read this carefully, if you FAIL to report the loss of the card within 60 days after a statement is mailed, you could be liable for UNLIMITED loss.
3. Police. Report it to the police in the jurisdiction in which the theft occurred and obtain a copy of the police report.
4. Review Statement. When you receive your credit card statement, go over it carefully to ensure that you were not charged for anything that is not appropriate. Call your credit card company immediately if you see any such charges. You must also put this information in writing and send it to your credit card company, a phone call is not enough for most credit card companies.
5. Credit Reporting Agencies. Contact the credit reporting agencies (Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) and place a short-term (usually 90 days) fraud alert on your account. You can do this by phone or on their websites. If you file online, most credit reporting agencies will forward this information to the other credit reporting companies, so you only have to do this once. This is especially important if you lost your entire wallet and you are not completely sure what was in it. The alert means that any company that checks your credit will be advised that your information has been stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. Don’t forget, thieves can file for fraudulent credit cards with all that information you have in your wallet, this will prevent that from happening. When you do this, you get a free credit report which you should review carefully for any new credit lines and recent credit checks.
6. Call Motor Vehicles. If you lose your drivers license, contact your state department of motor vehicles and inform them and request a replacement as soon as possible.
7. Homeowners Insurance Policy. Check your home owners insurance policy, sometimes it will cover you for liability due to credit card thefts, if it is not covered by the credit card company.
8. Registration Services. If you are really uptight about losing your card information and are not very organized, you can purchase a registration service that will notify all of the holders of your credit cards, ATM and debit cards in the event of a theft or loss – with just one phone call. They will often request replacement cards for you as well.
A few simple steps can ensure that you and are family can continue to have a wonderful vacation even if lose your credit card of have it stolen.
NOTE: This is not intended to be legal advise on the matter covered which can only be provided by a legal professional.
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