What you should not wear in your wallet: tips of the most famous ex-scammer

One of the most famous fraudsters, Frank Abignail, who worked for the XBNXX for the FBI for years, and also helped many organizations fight fraud, said that you should not carry it around all the time so that fraudsters could not use it. Writes about it CNBC.

Фото: Depositphotos

It can happen to anyone, anywhere.

The most common form of identity theft is when someone uses another person's information for financial gain. This often happens when your wallet is stolen.

Carol Crane, considered one of the most prolific thieves in Portland, Oregon, is known for snatching bags from churches, preschools and doctors' offices - all places where people often forget about security.

She took the information she found and created fake credit cards, driver's licenses and bank accounts for herself and her employees. According to the FBI press release, more than 50 people and 50 banks became victims of the Crane gang, it stole almost 200 000 dollars.

Carrying these things in your wallet is a big mistake.

Stealing a wallet is, to put it mildly, a huge burden for many: victims must notify the police, banks, credit card companies, health insurance, the social security administration, and so on.

On the subject: 7 Ways to Protect Your Financial Information from Scammers

But there are steps you can take to limit these hassles. The first step is to not carry these items in your wallet:

1. Too many credit and debit cards. The fewer debit and credit cards you carry with you, the less you will have to freeze or block if your wallet disappears.

Abignail generally does not recommend the use of debit cards at all. According to him, every time you use a debit card, you risk your money and your bank account.

Instead, he holds two credit cards in his wallet: one for personal purchases and one for business purchases. With credit cards, federal law limits liability in the event of an unauthorized purchase.

If you have a lot of credit card stores, you should only take those that you plan to use when you leave home. Although they can help you get a loan and can give you discounts or other benefits, you probably don’t use them all so often, so you can forget which ones you carried with you.

Another disadvantage of storing too many credit cards in your wallet is that you may be tempted to use them instead of paying with your money, which can ruin your credit rating.

2. Social Security Card. When was the last time you needed to show a social security card? A fraudster can easily use her number to open a new credit card.

3. Checks. If you know you should write a check, take one and only one with you. And use the target pen as this ink cannot be washed off. You can also buy a pen with special ink that goes straight into the paper. This will help prevent the erasure of the pen from the check and the entry of other data there.

On the subject: Credit Card Fraud: Xnumx Ways to Cheat

Your check contains all kinds of information (for example, account numbers and routes, your name and address) that can be used to steal your money. You may also be asked to enter your driver’s license number along with your date of birth. Your signature is also on the check.

Anyone, from the clerk to other employees and even couriers, can see the check and gain access to your bank account.

4. Bank deposit invoices. They contain the same information as your checks and are the key that opens your bank book.

5. Gas stations and ATMs. Even items that most people find unnecessary contain scraps of useful information, such as the last four digits of your credit card, which you can use to recover whole account numbers.

Before you leave home

Your wallet should not contain your life. Do not carry with you what you do not need. Here is my recommendation on what you can keep in your wallet:

• Your driver's license
• Copy of your health insurance card
• Copy of your car insurance
• Copy of registration of your car
• Copy of your Medicare card (all but the last four digits are darkened)
• One or two credit cards
• Your work ID
• Small amount of contingency money

Of course, even if your wallet is stolen and you only have the items listed above, you still have to act immediately and notify the institution of your loss.

The good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of time doing this. You need to act quickly: time is money here, and this is your money.

Read also on ForumDaily:

7 Ways to Protect Your Financial Information from Scammers

Money down the drain: 7 meaningless waste that you make every day

Avoiding Amazon Scammers: 13 Tips

Credit Card Fraud: Xnumx Ways to Cheat

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