Nếu bạn có bị đánh cắp ví của bạn, không chờ đợi cho đến khi bạn nhận được nhà để báo cáo thẻ tín dụng bị đánh cắp. Lấy di động của bạn hoặc điện thoại gần nhất và gọi 1-800-VISA 911 để báo cáo thẻ Visa mất tích và 1-800-MasterCard để báo cáo MasterCards bị đánh cắp. | Chapters Identity Theft and Your Credit 131 Beyond that try to carry as few credit and debit cards as possible. The more you carry the more chances that an identity thief has to wreck your credit if your wallet is stolen. If you have your wallet stolen don t wait until you get home to report stolen credit cards. Grab your cell or the nearest phone and call 1-800-VISA 911 to report missing Visa cards and 1-800-MasterCard to report stolen MasterCards. These are among the most valuable cards to thieves and should be shut down right away. When you get home or back to your hotel if you re traveling you can work on canceling the rest. It can help to periodically empty your wallet onto a photocopier and get an image of both sides of every card plus your driver s license. This will make it easier for you to report the thefts and get replacement cards. Just remember to put the cards back in your wallet and keep copies in a safe place. You don t want to leave your financial life lying around at the local Kinko s. Ask About Shredding Policies If you re required to give personal financial information to any business or professional ask how they dispose of old documents. If the business doesn t have a secure disposal policy in place take your business elsewhere or press it to institute one. Federal law requires businesses to discard records with consumer information in a way that prevents unauthorized access. The law gives businesses some leeway about what methods to use but you can always make specific requests. It s not too much to ask for example that your accountant shred copies of your old tax returns or at least call you so that you can come pick them up and do the same. Ditto for your doctor or any other professional. Don t Let Your Debit Card out of Your Sight If your atm card has a Visa or MasterCard logo it s known as a debit or check card and can be used just like a credit card without punching in a personal identification number. A thief who swipes it or skims the .
