Fraud Alert - Learn How to do it

Fraud Alert - Learn How

I have a lot of praise for Bank One . I got a call today from a machine that asked me to identify a payment made in a discount store in Silver Spring. When I heard the amount value I knew I could not have bought $262 worth of goods. I rushed to my wallet and to my utter horror I found my card was missing. Meanwhile the machine had kindly transferred me to a human voice who said that they would cancel the card and issue me a replacement card. I was not to worry and they would remove the fraudulent transactions from my account.

I am normally a very careful guy. I did some thinking. The last time I remember I used the card was at the IKEA in College Park. The last thing I had used it for was to buy a coffee and a Cinnamon Bun with some candy. Thinking about it I do not remember getting the card back from the IKEA cafeteria. I remember putting the receipt into my wallet. I tried calling them but the wait was too long and when I did get through I got disconnected. I am planning to write to them.

I am not worried about the loss of the card but I am worried if there are people in IKEA who would not just shred the card or tear it up. I know I never lost it anywhere else because we went straight home and I spent the entire time assembling the sofa that I had bought.

Enough of my story. What do you do when your card is lost? First call the bank and make sure they cancel the card. Talk about the genuine transactions that they made.

Next place a fraud alert on your credit file. Credit Bureau info for placing a fraud alert I would call Equifax because they have a automated way for you to place a fraud alert and also relay the information to the other bureaus.

Once you place a fraud alert you wont get a credit card till someone calls you and verifies you have applied for credit.( I feel safe already !)