If Your Purse or Wallet is Stolen or Lost:

Cancel your credit cards immediately.
(It works best if you have the toll-free numbers and your card numbers recorded somewhere you can easily retrieve them.)

File a Police Report in the jurisdiction where it was lost or stolen.
This proves to credit providers that you are diligent and it will serve as a first step toward a criminal investigation, if there is one.

Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and social security number. This alert notifies any company who checks your credit rating that your information was stolen. The company must then contact you by phone to authorize any new credit.