# Lost ID - Identity theft ?s **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-id-identity-theft-s/290971 "2005-02-20T01:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-id-identity-theft-s/290971/1 "2005-02-20T01:07:39Z")
My wife called earlier after arriving in Dallas to visit a friend. She was worried because she couldn’t find her driver’s license, and didn’t know where she had left it. The last place she remembered having it was at the security checkpoint at the local airport. Most likely, the card was left on one of the two planes she was on, or in one of the three airports. She’s already contacted the airline and airports, with no immediate results. We’re worried about the potential ID theft ramifications of this, and are working under the assumption hat someone picked it up with bad intentions. The license has the SSN printed on the front, which is of extra concern. I’ve checked the FTC ID theft website and one thing it recomends is to contact the police. But that’s difficult, since no one knows where it disappeared. So filing a police report doesn’t really seem to be a possibility. What else needs to be done to protect her identity? Is the ID Theft Affidavit on the FTC site intended to be filled out only if theft has taken place? What about the credit bureaus…is there some way of freezing her credit so that nothing can be opened in her name? There aren’t any plans to open new accounts soon, but if such a freeze is applied to her credit profile, how can she work around it? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-id-identity-theft-s/290971/2 "2005-02-20T01:15:19Z")
> [@](#): > > **Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file.** The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge. > > Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts. > > File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime. > > File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you. Source: [http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/](http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/) ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-id-identity-theft-s/290971/3 "2005-02-20T03:55:39Z")
I bet I know where the license might be. Last year, my wife and I went on a vacation. Going through security at Hartsfield, I had my boarding pass and ticket and license in my hand as we went through the metal detector. TSA goon: “everything in the bowl, sir” Me: “okay” After much shoe-removing and cellphone-checking and repeat trips through the detector, I retrieved my ticket (and belt and shoes) from several different plastic containers. My wife noticed that my license did NOT make it through the x-ray tunnel. I had not even noticed that the bowl tipped itself over on the way out of the tunnel onto the receiving conveyor. They had to shut everything down and send someone under the machine to get my DL. The angry folks behind me were not happy about all this. I suspect it’s at the airport, but **duckster’s** info is probably the way to go at this point. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-id-identity-theft-s/290971/4 "2005-02-20T05:20:13Z")
Well, I suppose I mis-spoke about the last place she had it. The last place she _needed_ it was at security. But the last place she remembers having it in hand was getting ready to board the first plane, because she didn’t know if they needed it at the gate. Where it went after that is anybody’s guess. So it sounds like she’ll be best served by calling a credit bureau ASAP. That quote mentions a police report, which, as I said, just doesn’t make sense in this case. There’s nothing to report, and there’s no telling to whom it should be reported. I suppose she could file one with the Ohio State Police, since the local airport is the last place she saw it.