HELOISE: Identity stolen? Act quickly

Dear Readers: As careful as we try to be, purses and wallets do get stolen or lost! Identity thieves can use your information to create a new identity. Law-enforcement authorities say not to panic. Act swiftly! Follow these steps:

Report the theft to the police ASAP!

Cancel all credit cards!

Call the fraud department of all major credit-reporting agencies and have them put a fraud alert on your account.

Let your bank know. Get new checks and ATM cards with different account numbers.

Call your state’s department of motor vehicles to report your missing driver’s license and get a replacement.

Change the locks for your home if keys were stolen.

If you find out that you are a victim of identity theft, call the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline at (877) 438-4338 to file a complaint. Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then press 2 to begin the process. If you get stuck in the “loop,” press 0 several times. You will be connected to a consumer counselor. You also can go to www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: When recycling magazines or catalogs, be sure to check for pre-printed cards or other forms inside the publication, as well as remove your address label from the cover. It’s easy to overlook, but there is so much information encoded on them. It’s worth the extra few minutes to do.

Diane in Indiana

How right you are! Especially catalogs — lots of info may be printed on that inside order form.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I shop dollar stores to find bargains. I have a hint for women on a budget who have seen a certain color eye shadow or fingernail polish that they would like to try, but regular retail costs are too high “just to try.” Check out the dollar stores. If you find colors you want, buy them, and you might find that the shade isn’t for you. You are out only $1, versus $6 or more, and you might even like the product.

Also, I decided that cloth bottle gift bags would be great for a vacation to put house shoes and flip-flops in to pack in the suitcase.

Barb in Texas

Barb, this is a super-saver hint for “test-driving” some products.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Scratch out the three-digit security code on the back of a credit card before destroying. With that gone, the card becomes useless on the Internet.

Mitch, via e-mail

King Features Syndicate