I checked my answering machine today at about noon (I tend to ignore my home phone). A male voice said, "Hi, I found you Drivers License and credit cards last night and will try to call you later. He left a cell number.
I froze. I checked my purse, no wallet. I went to the car, no wallet. I had used my debit card at Target at 8:30 the night before. I either dropped it at Target or outside my car when I got home.
I called the number and the guy said he found some things at the common grounds at a church on the corner, about 3 miles from my house. I asked if he found my wallet. He said no. He repeated that he found a few cards and ID, and they was back at a temporary company apartment, as he was at work on a construction site doing custom iron work. Target is very far from church where the items were found. Everything seemed so fishy. None of the story made sense.
I freaked. I called both banks I use and cancelled debit cards. I called 2 major credit cards I carry. At all 4 places I went through automated voice HELL. I was routed so many places before I could talk to a person. I never did get anyone at Bank of America and cancelled that C card using an automated system. I had the most trouble at the banks talking to a live person. The first question asked was card numbers. They were gone! I had left the house, and had no numbers. I could not get passed the first layer of automated hell. All of this made me panic more.
Then the customer service rep at ATT universal tried to sell me a Credit monitoring service. He did tell me to be careful if I went to retrieve my stuff. Public Place, make sure not followed, etc.
Then I could not remember what I had in the wallet besides basics, car insurance and voters registration and $100.00. I know I had an ulta point card and other receipts. I sure hope I was not carrying any old Credit Cards I forgot about. I usually carry only what I plan to use and keep the others at home.
The guy did call around 4:00 and I met him at a neighborhood Diner. He seemed like a nice guy and folks in the Diner knew him. He had 2 debit cards and my Drivers License and Insurance Card. He had 2 receipts.
He said he was walking home from dinner and found my things at the church, near the Diner we were at. He got my phone number from directory assistance. But all I could think of was a perfect stranger had all of this info about me and where I lived. I had a gold band ring on and pretended to be married. I thanked him for the things and bought coffee while he told me the story. I told him that most folks would not have just thrown my cards down and would have used them, charging up a storm. He thought it was strange too. A bank card could have been used everywhere without verificaton. I am rarely asked for it. He said he made an effort because that is what he would want someone to do, and he knew I needed to know my wallet was gone. It would have been hours before I would have realized this on my own.
In conversation, he let me know where he was working, where he was from, and where he went in the neighborhood. We have a lot of homeless and down and out folks, that hang out in the business district. He bought one of them a cup of coffee. He told me he did not give them money, but he did occasionally buy them food or a drink. And he had bought that woman a cup of coffee before. He SEEMED legit. Who knows???
I thanked him and left. Besides racking my brain on what else was in that wallet, I am uneasy about someone having those contents. I don't really know the finder from Adam. He could be a criminal planning a burglary.
I am going to make a list of what is in my wallet with emergency phone numbers. I am going to clean it out frequently and carry only the basics.
Do you know what is in your wallet right now? What would someone learn about you?
Please learn from my situation.
I froze. I checked my purse, no wallet. I went to the car, no wallet. I had used my debit card at Target at 8:30 the night before. I either dropped it at Target or outside my car when I got home.
I called the number and the guy said he found some things at the common grounds at a church on the corner, about 3 miles from my house. I asked if he found my wallet. He said no. He repeated that he found a few cards and ID, and they was back at a temporary company apartment, as he was at work on a construction site doing custom iron work. Target is very far from church where the items were found. Everything seemed so fishy. None of the story made sense.
I freaked. I called both banks I use and cancelled debit cards. I called 2 major credit cards I carry. At all 4 places I went through automated voice HELL. I was routed so many places before I could talk to a person. I never did get anyone at Bank of America and cancelled that C card using an automated system. I had the most trouble at the banks talking to a live person. The first question asked was card numbers. They were gone! I had left the house, and had no numbers. I could not get passed the first layer of automated hell. All of this made me panic more.
Then the customer service rep at ATT universal tried to sell me a Credit monitoring service. He did tell me to be careful if I went to retrieve my stuff. Public Place, make sure not followed, etc.
Then I could not remember what I had in the wallet besides basics, car insurance and voters registration and $100.00. I know I had an ulta point card and other receipts. I sure hope I was not carrying any old Credit Cards I forgot about. I usually carry only what I plan to use and keep the others at home.
The guy did call around 4:00 and I met him at a neighborhood Diner. He seemed like a nice guy and folks in the Diner knew him. He had 2 debit cards and my Drivers License and Insurance Card. He had 2 receipts.
He said he was walking home from dinner and found my things at the church, near the Diner we were at. He got my phone number from directory assistance. But all I could think of was a perfect stranger had all of this info about me and where I lived. I had a gold band ring on and pretended to be married. I thanked him for the things and bought coffee while he told me the story. I told him that most folks would not have just thrown my cards down and would have used them, charging up a storm. He thought it was strange too. A bank card could have been used everywhere without verificaton. I am rarely asked for it. He said he made an effort because that is what he would want someone to do, and he knew I needed to know my wallet was gone. It would have been hours before I would have realized this on my own.
In conversation, he let me know where he was working, where he was from, and where he went in the neighborhood. We have a lot of homeless and down and out folks, that hang out in the business district. He bought one of them a cup of coffee. He told me he did not give them money, but he did occasionally buy them food or a drink. And he had bought that woman a cup of coffee before. He SEEMED legit. Who knows???
I thanked him and left. Besides racking my brain on what else was in that wallet, I am uneasy about someone having those contents. I don't really know the finder from Adam. He could be a criminal planning a burglary.
I am going to make a list of what is in my wallet with emergency phone numbers. I am going to clean it out frequently and carry only the basics.
Do you know what is in your wallet right now? What would someone learn about you?
Please learn from my situation.
