5 Things You Should Do If You Lose Your Official Government Identification Paperwork

The social security number is used by the government to identify all citizens of the USA. Losing a social security card is therefore every citizen’s worst nightmare. As a matter of fact, the loss of such a crucial can turn your good life into a living hell. This is because you get grounded in so many areas. You can’t buy any property such as car and land, you can’t operate a bank account or even pursue gainful employment. Moreover, credit card companies will deliberately refuse to give you their cards just because you don’t have a social security card. The good news is that there are a couple of things that you can do to stay out of trouble as explained below.

1. Apply for a Replacement Card

When your social security card is stolen or lost under unclear circumstances, you have no choice but to apply for another one. Even if you still remember your social security number, it’s advisable you get a replacement because there are some institutions that will require you to produce it when interacting with them. There are two ways of applying for a social security card. In the first instance, you have to go to the nearest post office and apply for a new card.

The problem with this old approach is that there are usually long queues of people waiting to be served. In such a case, there is no guarantee that you will be able to file your application within a day. Those who have busy schedules prefer to apply online by visiting applicationfilingservice.com. It’s fast and very convenient because you can apply for a new social security card from the comfort of your home and while on the go as long as you have access to the internet.

2. Notify the Authorities

When your social security card goes missing, it’s recommended you report the issue to the authorities. This will go a long way towards protecting yourself in case the card is used by fraudsters to obtain money falsely and other dubious activities. If you don’t bother to inform the authorities, you will be held responsible if the card is misused by criminals. Remember, the government has all the resources that are needed for tracing such a card.

3. Consult Credit Reporting Agency

The moment it dawns on you that your crucial identification document is missing such as social security number and birth certificate, you should contact a credit reporting agency right away. Once you notify them, they will put your details on their radar so that they can know when any individual tries to use the card to apply for a loan or get the credit card topped up.

4. Inform Your Credit Card Company

If your credit card company doesn’t know about the theft of your card, they will continue to bill you for all its expenses. You should therefore notify them so they can freeze it immediately. The advantage of informing such a company is that they will be more than willing to give you a replacement card because you already have a relationship with them. As a matter of fact, they only make profit when you use your credit card to pay for products or services.

5. Analyze Your Credit Card Reports

Even if you have partnered with a credit reporting agency, it’s still recommended you scrutinize your credit card statements. This means that you should be able to account for all the expenses that are included in the monthly statement. If you find that the card has been used in places that you hardly visit, it’s probably being used by an identity thief. You should actually share such details with the authorities and the issuing company so that they can cancel all the transactions and track the thief down.