(Newswire.net — February 7, 2018) — In various unfortunate circumstances, most of us tend to lose our purse and wallet which may contain important documents and information such as your social security card. Most of us do not know the next course of action to take when something like that happens. Not to worry though, below are a few guidelines on what to do as soon as you realize that you have lost your social security card.
1. Observe your credit report
After losing your social security card it is best to monitor your credit reports in order to identify any cases of fraud. This is due to the fact that a person who has stolen your social security card may be using it for all the wrong purposes and intents. They may be making a lot of unnecessary and extreme purchases and actions thus piling up a lot of debt in your name. This could get you into a lot of trouble with many creditors and you will eventually end up with a huge loss of money. Once you identify any irregular activities on your credit report, it is best to report the matter to the local police who will give you further instructions on what course of action to take.
2. Place an alert
Another wise thing to do after losing your social security card is to place an alert on it. To do this, call up one of the companies and ask them to place a fraud alert on your card. For example, you may call either Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. Once one company is notified, it will contact the other two on the issue of your fraud alert. You can file a fraud alert either online, or you can call one of the companies or send them an email. The importance of placing a fraud alert on your lost social security card is that it will alert any creditor of the fact that the person using your card may be a fraudster and this will thus enable them to verify with you before any transaction is made with your card. This will therefore protect your finances and avoid any instance of debt.
3. Get a replacement
You can apply for a new social security card and proceed with business as usual. In order to apply for a card, you must meet the required criteria such as being a citizen of the United States of America and being above or at 18 years of age. You can pay a visit to www.assistedonlinefilings.com which will provide you with the guidelines and information which you will fill in in order to acquire a new social security card. If you are, however, positive that there is someone using your social security number and posing as you,then you can apply for a new number. The only requirement will be to provide enough evidence that can establish for sure that someone is using your social security number.