Why? Who?

Last week, while I was out having a nice birthday dinner with my college/sorority friends, I received a call telling me my wallet was stolen. This is when a nightmare began.

Let me start from the beginning - last Wednesday I came to work, just a normal day. That evening I was heading out to run errands and meet my friends for dinner at the Olive Garden. As I got my things together to leave the office, I noticed my purse was light - my purse is never light. I looked in there and my wallet was not in there. I didn't panic at first, I checked everywhere in my office and then out in my car. I was positive I had it with me that morning, but just in case I called H to check the condo. No luck! So, I headed over to the OG, sure that it would turn up. About a half hour into dinner, I received a call from H, all our bank and credit companies were calling us with large charges being made to all my cards. I ran home, unsure of how this happened, and so nervous.

When I got home, I called all the companies, and the person who stole my wallet, charged $5k at Wal-Mart and a few hundred in some other places. It was terrible! How could somebody do this to me I kept thinking! After reviewing everything and closing my accounts, I realized this happened at work - and then the fear set in that somebody found my purse at work, in my office, behind my desk, and took my wallet. What a violation of trust and safety. Devestating....

To date, I have filed a police report, turned in an incident report and contact the hospital security and HR. I also called the Belleville Wal-Mart and they were able to pull up every transaction made under my name on the day my wallet was stolen, and link the security camera and charge slips to them. I am now waiting for the police department to pick it up so I can go and id the thief. I hope it is sooner than later, I would like to be able to sleep at night and enjoy coming to work again.

Things I have learned from this incident:

• Do not keep all your credit and debit cards on you - since I did - I had no access to any money until I made it to the bank on Thursday
• Make sure you have a second form of id (state id card, passport) in a safe place - if I didn't have a passport, I would not have had any way to withdraw cash from my checking account.
• Do not keep your SS card in your wallet - this is a no brainer - but I had to use it a few months ago and just never took it out of my wallet.
• Gift Cards - keep these at home in a safe place
  
• Car Insurance - keep a copy in your car - which I think is common sense and luckily I did, otherwise I would have no proof of insurance
• Do not keep a lot of cash on you
• Keep a reserve of cash at home in a safe place
• Contact the 3 credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on your identity
  

This has been a devestating situation, you feel like your life has been turned upside down and feel lost. I have personally never felt this way, but I have lost trust and faith in people, and feel very scared and helpless - which is not like me at all. I hope we are able to find this person and start to piece everything back together.