Someone has stolen Sandra’s identity and is trying to run up bills in her name.

We were tipped off when the Post Office asked her to validate her change-of-address request and she received a Visa card she hadn’t applied for.

Obviously, the ID thief had applied for the credit card then submitted the change-of-address to get the card forwarded to them. I guess they didn’t know the Post Office checks out change-of-address requests.

Of course, I phoned the Post Office right away, and then the number on the credit card. And that’s not as simple as it sounds. I waited for nearly an hour to speak with a post office representative, and almost as long to get hold of the credit card issuer, which turned out to be the Bank of America.

The post office canceled the change-of-address request and the bank canceled the credit card. Both promised to “investigate.”  But who knows what else the ID thief has been up to?

I got in touch with our bank this morning, and a polite machine promised to be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity on our accounts. I also phoned Equifax to put a freeze on Sandra’s credit. And I filed a report online with consumer.gov.

Strangely, the credit card was issued to Sandra as owner of 4 Corners This Week, a publication we used to put out. We closed that company a long time ago and I wonder who knows we owned it. I would think the only place they could get that information would be the state’s records.

So what happens now? Any suggestions?

PS: I’ve also opened Lifelock accounts for both of us.