Scam alert: Receive a Green Dot Card in the mail? You may be a victim of identity theft

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN (WITI) -- Police agencies throughout southeast Wisconsin are warning citizens about unsolicited Green Dot Debit Cards they may have received in the mail. A Green Dot Card is a re-loadable debit card.

Police warn these unsolicited cards are "very real." According to police, someone had to supply your name, address and Social Security Number in order to obtain this "permanent" card, and thereby committed an identity theft.

A Green Dot Card is a re-loadable debit card that can be purchased locally at places like Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens. They can also be purchased online. When one of these "temporary cards" is purchased, the owner can apply online or via phone for a "name embossed" Green Dot Card, which looks identical to a standard Visa or MasterCard debit card. It is accepted everywhere a normal Visa or MasterCard is accepted.

Citizens are receiving these "permanent/name embossed" Green Dot Debit Cards in the mail. The mailing is from Green Dot Bank in Pasadena, CA.

If you receive an unsolicited "permanent" Green Dot Card, do the following:

1. Contact your local police agency to report the ID theft.

2. Contact Green Dot Bank Customer Service at 866-795-7597.

3. If you have not filed your 2014 Federal Tax Return, contact the ID Identity Theft Hotline at 800-908-4490, and report that you have been a victim of ID theft.

4. Notify all of your financial institutions (i.e. banks, credits unions, etc.)

5. Contact one of the three credit bureaus and place your credit account on "fraud alert."

6. Have them file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on their website at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, or via phone at 877-438-4338.