It’s been two days since my car was broken into while I was out on a run at my favorite reservoir.  Last night at wok was a quiet night with lots of time to get lost in my thoughts.  Unfortunately my thoughts were racing as I berated myself over and over for being such a fool.  I am college educated.  I worked at the Better Business Bureau for a time listening to story after story of identity theft.  I am well traveled and have lived overseas.  How could I have been so stupid?

Sure I put my pocketbook under the seat, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.  I left my iPhone in the pocket book.  I am not a technology novice.  I had my phone password protected for a while but it was proving to be a little complicated for my son and since we don’t have a home phone I rationalized not having a password because Carlos wouldn’t be able to make a call in the event of an emergency.  I could have taught him how to access the phone with a password.  He uses a computer for crying out loud.

When I first bought my iPhone I had set up the Find Your Phone feature through my Mobile Me account.  I have since been given two replacement iPhones because of continued problems I had with the phone.  Foolish me didn’t realize that I had to set up the Find Your Phone feature with each new phone.  I didn’t even think to ask.  Why?

My wallet contained the usual credit cards and a drivers license but it also contained something that I should have known better than to carry around with me.  I had my social security card in my wallet.  Yes I did.  I put it in there a while ago for a specific purpose and after using it I never took it out.  By doing that I single handedly put myself at the utmost risk for identity theft.  The thief now has all the means to assume my identity with my drivers license and social security card.  I knew better and I didn’t protect myself.

While pacing the halls at work last night I ran these thoughts and many more over and over in my head.  I know that beating myself up over this will not change things.  I have never been one to make others responsible for my actions.  I did not take the proper steps to protect myself from identity theft.  I alone am responsible for whatever the outcome is of this situation.  So far there is no indication that any action has been taken by the thief to open accounts in my name or do any other harm that I know of.  But it will be a long time before I will feel confident that nothing will come of this incident.