Savvy Traveler Tip

Last Tuesday I returned from escorting a group to New York City. Some of us were shopping in Chinatown on Saturday and then took the subway back to our hotel. While getting ready for dinner, my roommate realized that she didn’t have her billfold. It had either been stolen while we were in Chinatown or on the subway! But, savvy traveler that she is, she knew exactly what to do.

First she called her credit card company and cancelled her card. Then she called a friend of hers who worked at the bank and asked her to close her account on Monday morning (she knew as soon as she got home she’d have to contact those companies who were authorized to make automatic withdrawals from her account; i.e. water department, etc. and give them new account information). Next she reached one of the following 3 credit report bureaus (you only need to reach one and it will relay the information to the other two) and reported her wallet stolen:

1) Equifax: 800-525-6285

2) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

3) Trans Union: 800-680-7289

Then she contacted the Social Security Administration (fraud line): 800-269-0271 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

For more information on identify theft, go to

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ and http://www.equifax.com/cs/Satellite/EFX_Content_C1/1159835156870/5-1/5-1_Layout.htm?packedargs=Locale%3Den_US

The reason my roommate was so quick to react and knew what to do is because someone had sent her an email with this information and she had printed it off and keeps it in each suitcase, so the information it at her fingertips! Feel free to make a copy of this information and carry it in your suitcase when you travel.