Experts Tell Texans To NOT Carry These Items In Their Wallet

Why is it in Texas we feel like we need to carry every single card or item with us in either our wallet or purse? I know when I look in my wallet, I've got so many different types of cards in there I haven't touched in years, yet I still leave them there.

I'm talking about things like rewards cards, discount cards, whatever it may be. We sign up for something to save 10% at a store or whatever, then we shove the card in our wallet or purse and just leave it there for eternity.

Sure, those cards are perfectly fine to carry around if you want. I mean, if you lose your wallet or leave your purse behind somewhere, you won't care if those things go missing. You're more concerned with things like your driver's license, and debit and/or credit cards. You worry about someone going on a shopping spree and you get stuck with the bill.

Those are things you have to carry with you because you use them daily. If you're driving, gotta have that license. Debit and credit cards we need to be able to purchase something as simple as lunch. But there are things people carry in their wallets and purses that should NEVER be there. It could lead to identity theft, and quickly.

Let's review the seven things you shouldn't be carrying around with you.

SOCIAL SECURITY CARD

I mean, I'd figure this goes without saying, but this is NOT an item you should be carrying with you regularly. I understand there are times when you need it, and it's ok to bring it with you then.

However, if you lose this, you are opening yourself up to someone who can become you. Applying for loans, opening up new credit card accounts, bank accounts, you name it. It will all end up in your name, but not your hands. Trying to get your identity back after someone gets your social security number is extremely tough. They don't issue new social security numbers to you like they do credit cards, so just keep this out of your wallet or purse.

MULTIPLE CREDIT CARDS

I know you THINK you need to have every charge card in your arsenal available to you at all times, but you don't. If you're getting ready to go on THAT kind of shopping spree, you should probably think twice about leaving the house.

Even if you write that fancy "SEE ID" in big, bold letters on the back, how many places have you seen check your ID? Not to mention, the internet never asks for ID. If you have all the card info, that's all the internet needs. It's a treasure trove for identity thieves, and they'll burn up your credit in a hurry.

UNUSED GIFT CARDS

These are even worse to leave in your wallet or purse. There's no recourse or way to get the money back from these. Identity thieves LOVE gift cards. They can't get caught using them, and they'll get all sorts of goodies thanks to that.

Either that or they'll sell them at a discount for a little extra cash in their pocket. Only grab the gift card when you're going to use it, that way there's no chance of it being nabbed by someone.

SPARE HOUSE KEY

Sure, it seems like a good idea to stick this in your wallet or purse so you never find yourself locked out of your home. However, if you leave your wallet or purse behind and a thief grabs it, you've invited them into your home to grab some more stuff.

If they've got your wallet or purse, they've got your ID so they know where you live. They find the key, make a quick drive to your house, and now not only are you out the purse or wallet and everything inside, but now you're missing stuff from home too.

CHECKS

We live in a world where essentially no one uses checks these days. With all the different digital pay options like Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, etc., we can instantly send money when we don't have cash on us and it's taken care of. However, there are still some rare times they could be needed. Older people also like to still use them as they're just more comfortable using checks. They've used them their entire adult life, so they don't want to mess with or trust the digital methods.

The problem with checks is they're blank when you carry them around. All the thief has to do is find a place that accepts checks as a form of payment and start writing up a storm. The thing about checks is you can write them all you want, even when you don't have enough to cover the amount. They aren't instant like a card or digital payment. Not to mention all your bank account info is printed right there at the bottom of the check, so they can take that info online and do the same thing.

RECEIPTS

Ok, this is an interesting one...and a scary one to be honest. On the receipts, you'll notice the last five digits of your card number are printed on that receipt. Another thing that prints out on the receipt is your name. That's all these thieves need to pull off some identity theft.

What they do with that info is a little phishing. By doing this, they can get the rest of the card number and go to town. Think about how many receipts we keep in our wallet or purse after purchasing something and forget it's there. Even worse, think about how many receipts we just throw away. That's just scary to think about.

PASSWORD CHEAT SHEETS

Look, in a world where everything is saved for us, whether it's phone numbers in our phones or passwords that are saved when we first enter them somewhere, we still tend to forget them. Sometimes, you get logged out of a site, or you're putting your email on a new phone and have to enter the password, but you can't remember it because it's been saved for three months.

That's where these password sheets come in. Many people have a document they keep with them that has login info for all sorts of different things. They could be your email, or worse, it could be your online banking info. Once a thief can access your accounts, the possibilities are endless as to what they could do, especially if your banking info was there. Keep these in a safe place at home, not in your purse or wallet.