the stolen lap top

January 25, 2006 1:05 AM

The unthinkable has happened. My primary laptop was stolen (along with my PDA, numerous key cards, my checkbook, and a prescription pad -- oh yes, some seattle crack head scored tonight). Aside from the obvious closing of bank and credit accounts, changing sensitive passwords, what else could a savvy scumbag come back to hurt me with?

I'm not particulary worried about work files, my vacation pictures, my history of internet porn sites visited. Every password I had for anything, itunes, amazon, my home alarm was on that PDA though not in an obvious place to look. Should I change my home wireless network password? Will things like PayPal cause problems if I've already closed my bank account? There should be a business that helps people through this, Today I'd pay thousands.
(Forntunately, everything is backed up at home)

posted by Slarty Bartfast to computers & internet (10 comments total)

Off hand I'd watch my credit history carefully for a long while now. Seems with some of that info you might be vulnerable to someone faking your identity to obtain credit cards etc...
If you have personal data from clients on the stuff that was stolen I'd notify them
posted by edgeways at 1:15 AM on January 25, 2006

Look for a fat cell phone bill in about six months, if you your SSN was lost. Happened to me about three years ago. File a police report, reference it when the collection agencies call. Won't cost you anything but time and paperwork.
posted by airguitar at 1:23 AM on January 25, 2006

Prescription pad? Is there some way to alert pharmacies to call you on each prescription, and change on your pads (as in, get new ones printed right now)?

I'm not even sure if that's important, as IANAD etc, but it would seem to be one way to make sure this doesn't bite you in the ass later.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 2:08 AM on January 25, 2006

Are you in the US? If there was a Social Security card in there (or you had the number on any of those docs or files), then you need to look into contacting them to get a new number generated, or at least just to ask them the best plan of attack. Even crackheads are learning identity theft nowadays.

Second filing a police report.

For safety's sake, yes, change every password you have, even to trivial stuff like Amazon and iTunes.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:01 AM on January 25, 2006

Ugh, you have my sympathies.

I don't recommend applying for a new SSN--that's an absolute last-resort type of move, and the SSA says as much.

Do you use the keycards to gain entry to medical facilities? It's a long shot that the thief would figure it out, but you should tell the building security right away. (Ugh, getting new key cards can be harder than getting a new SSN...)

Download the ID Theft Affadavit because you might need it later.

Oh, here's an important one: Beware of phonecalls that are supposedly from banks or credit card companies with whom you have accounts. You said you've already cancelled your cards, but for everyone else reading this: sometimes ID thieves will call you posing as your bank/card company and try to glean the rest of your personal info. Tell them that you'll call them back. They take advantage of your freaked-out malleable frame of mind.

Finally, to try to end on a hopeful note, have you tried making a post to Missed Connections/Lost and Found on the Seattle Craigslist? Maybe someone's found some of your stuff.
posted by veronica sawyer at 7:26 AM on January 25, 2006

For future reference, I keep a password list on my PDA, too, but it's password protected. Might seem strange, but this way you only remember one password, and then you get access to all the others.
posted by knave at 10:10 AM on January 25, 2006

No one has mentioned this yet, but my first thought was to change the locks and security system passwords on your house--all of them. I'd recommend getting a dog and/or a security system, if you don't already have one.

Undoubtedly, you had your home address listed *somewhere* on one of those devices. A *known thief* now knows where you live. If you have children and there were any pictures of them on your devices, they now know where your children live--and what they look like.

While I'm not diminishing the importance of your financial/identity situation, all of the money in the world can't replace the ones you love. That would be my first and foremost concern, if I was in your situation.
posted by Mrs. Smith at 11:02 AM on January 25, 2006

I'd recommend getting a dog and/or a security system, if you don't already have one.

Um, I think this is a bit of an overreaction.

A) Slarty said s/he has a security system, and reprogrammed the code already.

B) Unless I'm misreading, Slarty lost keycards--not housekeys.

C) IMO, advocating getting a dog for the sole purpose of preventing an improbable home invasion/abduction is pretty terrible.
posted by veronica sawyer at 12:17 PM on January 25, 2006

My sympathies. When something similar happened I was given the following advice:

1) Call the major credit bureaus such as, Equifax so they can list that your material was stolen and that you are at risk for identity theft. This may mitigate some issues later on when applying for further credit/loans on your part;

2) Cancel all your cards including minor cards such as gas cards and library;

3) If you have lost keys you must try to get things re-keyed;

4) If you are getting new credit cards you must be sure that your mail is not being watched for the new cards;

5) Police report, police report.

6) Email people in your address book to be aware that someone may try to pose as you or wheedle information from them with a spoof;

7) Get new bank accounts. It will cut confusion for the bank when the guilty parties start charging against your bankcard or try to drain your account or write bad checks;

8) If you don't shred your mail start doing so now.

9) All new ID

About the scrips pad...you know the penalties on that better than I but you could track down the guilty party when they try to use the pad;

It is a troublesome pain. It took me weeks to rectify everything. My sympathies to you.
posted by jadepearl at 7:11 PM on January 25, 2006

Wow. Thanks for all the advice. You guys are amazing. Looks like things are going to be okay. Once I put the word out to my friends and family, I have heard from so many others that this has happened to.

Changing email passwords and the house alarm code was the first thing I did. Then I called my bank and cancelled all electronic activity on my accounts. The next day, I went in and opened new accounts. The police dept suggested I call Equifax and they will put out a "Fraud Alert" that will appear on my credit report whenever anyone requests it, they even call the other credit reporting companies. For six bucks a month, they sell a service that will alert you anytime anyone asks for your credit report, anytime any charge over $200 is made on a credit card, and they provide up to $20000 "fraud insurance." This may have been a scam, but it seemed like a small price to pay.

Changing passwords on Amazon, etc. seems like a good idea but cancelling all bank and credit accounts should take care of that problem.

The morals for everyone else:
1. NEVER keep your PDA and laptop in the same place, kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?
2. Not having a password on computer start up is just stupid.
3. Passwords should be hidden and password protected if kept at all on your computer.
4. Make sure you ask your wife before you store her social security number on your PDA, regardless of your good intentions.
5. Don't keep your lap top in plain sight in your locked car.
6. Never trust me with any sensitive electronic information.

There's probably a million other things I will need to take care of in the weeks ahead, but I feel better having accomplished all of the above things in the first 24 hours. Now, I'm focused on recovering all my backed up data.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:16 PM on January 26, 2006