This is a service that notifies all your card companies and banks that your cards have been lost or stolen. So, you only have to make one phone call to the service to report a loss. The service will then make all the necessary calls for you.

Most services will automatically order new cards for you as well. The cost ranges from $10 to $35 a year. Be sure to compare offers before you buy. And ask if the service will reimburse you if it doesn’t report the card loss promptly.

For more information on financial fraud, write to:

Public Reference at the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580. Ask for the free pamphlet Credit and Charge Card Fraud, Fair Credit Billing and Credit Billing Blues.