If your driver’s license is lost or stolen, your first thought will almost certainly be about getting yourself back behind the wheel. That\u2019s perfectly natural and appropriate, because it\u2019s a legitimately high priority. Once you\u2019ve set that in motion, though, your second and third thoughts (and as many more as it takes) should be focused on the potential for identity theft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A driver\u2019s license is one of the most basic forms of ID, and having yours fall into the wrong hands is potentially troublesome (that\u2019s why Forbes called it \u201cthe biggest prize<\/a> for an identity thief\u201d) Think about it: How often have you used your driver\u2019s license as a form of identification? How many accounts have you opened? Each and every one of them is an example of how an identity thief might directly use (or more accurately, misuse) your identity: <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the simplest level, a thief with your driver\u2019s license<\/a> can simply give it when pulled over, putting blemishes on your driving record and potentially getting you arrested.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a risk of old-fashioned \u201ctheft, theft,\u201d since now the thief who took your license knows where you live.\u00a0 Finally, the loss of your driver\u2019s license can lead to more profound and troublesome forms of identity theft.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n IS YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER ON THE DARK WEB? FIND OUT WITH SPOKEO PROTECT!<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing to do is reach out to your state\u2019s DMV and report your license as missing or stolen. From there, each state has its own procedure you\u2019ll need to follow. Some states may offer the option of placing a \u201cflag\u201d or alert on your existing license, but most \u2014 like Colorado<\/a> \u2014 do not. You\u2019ll need to review your driving record<\/a> personally to verify that no one has incurred any fines or violations using your license. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also file a police report, especially if you have any reason to believe the license was stolen as opposed to simply misplaced. It helps establish that you\u2019ve taken the necessary steps to inform the authorities, which will work in your favor if or when the existing license is misused. It may not help you immediately if the thief runs up a chain of traffic infractions \u2014 in Georgia<\/a>, for example, you\u2019ll need to have them expunged individually by the court that issued the fine \u2014 but it\u2019s a broadly useful step if you need to challenge fraudulent use of your identity at any point in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t simply have your existing license reissued, because that means its information remains valid. Instead, have the state issue you a new license number and cancel the old one. If your old license eventually turns up, that\u2019s fine; just shred it or cut it into unrecognizable pieces. You\u2019ll have caused yourself a bit of inconvenience, but that\u2019s much less damaging than allowing free reign to an identity thief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Identity theft can take a number of forms, but the steps you take to protect yourself are consistent no matter how you\u2019ve gotten there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, keep a watchful eye for signs that your identity has been stolen<\/a> and is being actively exploited. These include sudden changes to your credit rating, new accounts being opened or loans being secured, purchases you haven\u2019t made showing up on your accounts, insurance claims being randomly denied (because scammers have already maxed out your coverage with bogus claims) and even disruptions to your mail. They know where you live, after all, and intercepting your mail \u2014 or using your driver\u2019s license to put in a redirect notice<\/a> at USPS \u2014 gives them free access to any remaining personal information they might want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Countering the threat follows an equally well-known series of steps<\/a>: Closely monitor all of your statements and accounts, alert all three credit bureaus, place a credit freeze or fraud alert<\/a> at each credit bureau, and (if fraud has already taken place) file an identity theft complaint at the IdentityTheft.gov<\/a> website. That not only alerts the authorities, it walks you through creating a personalized recovery plan to help you rebuild and minimize the damage after the fraud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve taken the necessary steps to minimize any potential damage from the loss of your driver\u2019s license, you can relax…a little. Just because nothing bad happens in the short term doesn\u2019t mean it never will; sometimes scammers will wait a while \u2014 months or even years \u2014 to exploit your identity, on the assumption that you\u2019ll stop worrying after a while. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spokeo doesn\u2019t endorse worrying, which by definition doesn\u2019t accomplish much. Instead, build security-mindedness into your normal routine \u2014 by using good passwords and changing them regularly, scrutinizing your bank and credit card statements, ordering a free credit report each year from all three agencies \u2014 and then just go ahead and live your life, knowing you\u2019ve done what you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to give yourself a little extra peace of mind, we\u2019ve got your back.\u00a0 Part of the identity protection that comes with your Spokeo Protect<\/a> subscription is dark web monitoring<\/a>, which can warn you when your private information shows up for sale in the internet\u2019s seamy underworld.\u00a0 Knowing your information has been exposed gives you fair warning that trouble\u2019s brewing and gives you time to alert your bank and the credit bureaus.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not a substitute for good habits and personal vigilance, but it can provide that extra little bit of security you need to face life with confidence in the digital era. You\u2019re welcome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your driver’s license is lost or stolen, your first thought will almost certainly be about getting yourself back behind the wheel. That\u2019s perfectly natural and appropriate, because it\u2019s a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":25285,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[810],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-identity"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat To Do When Your License Is Lost or Stolen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Some Added Peace of Mind (You\u2019re Welcome)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
References: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n