Take a look at what you have in your wallet.

If you're anything like me, it's probably like a portable junk draw.  It's amazing the stuff that I carry around.

The problem with this habit is that experts warn it could lead to disaster and can be dangerous.

If you happen to lose your wallet with your personal information, you can easily become a victim of identification theft.

Identity Fraud in New Jersey

New Jersey law defines identification theft as,

...an offense to impersonate another, assume a false identity, or obtain personally identifying information pertaining to another person and use that information or assist another in using that information to obtain a benefit, services or attempt to avoid a debt or avoid prosecution for a crime by using the name of the other person.

New Jersey is ranked 13th in the country in identification theft with over 28,000 reports.

The impact of identification theft could be devastating.

Not only that, if someone with bad intentions obtains your personal information, including your address, it could be downright dangerous.

If you lose your wallet, and think someone has stolen your identity, you must act quickly.

Things to Do if You Think Your Identity Was Stolen

One of the first calls you should make is to your local police department.  It's very important that you get a case file number.  Your credit card companies will require you to have this when you call them.

The next call is one that you might not think of.  Make sure you call all three credit report companies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) and ask to speak to their fraud department.