theft

Since Halloween is coming up in just a few days, it seems fitting to talk about the various scary money situations that people find themselves in. I recently addressed tips for bankruptcy and what to do when you're laid off, but today I'm going to talk about what to do when something (or things) is stolen from you. Even if this hasn't happened to you, it's a good idea to know what to do when the time comes so you don't freeze up and act out of panic.

When your home is robbed: Once you find your house has been broken into, immediately leave your home and call 911. Stay in a safe place while you're waiting for the police to come, because you don't want to run the risk of bumping into the criminal. Wait until the police come before you take further action, which means you shouldn't search your home or touch anything before the cops come or you'll be tampering with evidence. Then, walk through your house and create a list of things that you notice missing from your home. If you have not taken photos of the items before the theft, make sure you write a detailed description of them. You will need to submit this list to the police and your homeowner's insurance. When you're reporting the crime and claiming insurance, start working on ways to make your home safer. For example, you can do things like get a good alarm system, lock up your valuables, and secure your windows and sliding doors.

When your identity is stolen: If you've been monitoring your credit report and all of a sudden you see strange activity like new credit cards being opened or if you're seeing weird charges on your credit card bills, someone may have stolen your identity. First decide whether you want to place a fraud alert or a credit freeze. With a fraud alert, the creditor will be more cautious when giving credit in your name and all you need to do is place the alert with one credit bureau, which will then notify the others. A credit freeze is the more secure option — you can't be considered for new credit until you've disabled the freeze. The latter option provides more protection, but it's also more of a hassle and you have to pay a fee. You'll have to individually freeze your credit with all three agencies.

Read on for more tips.

I get a little thrill from bank robbery flicks like Takers, but the reality of having your bank account, house, or car robbed is earth-shattering. Have you ever been robbed? And if so, what did you do?

Air France invites you to lean back, don your sleeping mask, and enjoy your flight. While holding tightly to your valuables, that is. One of the airline's flight attendants has been turning flights into a real-life Inception — except instead of stealing ideas while passengers slept, she's been stealing, um, cash. She's copped to 27 counts of stealing money and jewelry, and authorities think she may be responsible for other thefts as well.

Of all the ways you can be ripped off while traveling, this seems like the most unexpected, and maybe one of the most violating. Have you ever had anything stolen during a flight?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros

The phrase hot wheels takes on a negative connotation when you're talking about stolen rides. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has determined which vehicles were most reported stolen last year, down to the make, model, and year.

The NICB advises car owners to protect their wheels by using common sense and locking their cars; having a visible or audio warning device; getting an immobilizing device like smart keys; and hooking up a tracking device that can monitor the car's whereabouts via computer if the car is stolen. Do you own one of the most stolen cars of 2008? Find out when you read more

Let's face it, criminal activity can seriously disrupt a vacation. Excited travelers shouldn't forget to consider the safety of their desired destinations. If it's a low-risk vacation you're after, Forbes provides 10 suggestions in its list of the safest destinations around the world. Forbes used "piles of data" to compile its cautious list, including but not limited to natural disasters and social or political unrest. After all the number-crunching, here are the ten places that shine in the safety department.

• Singapore
• Iceland
• Switzerland
• Bhutan
• Mauritius
• New Zealand
• Cyprus
• Ireland
• Dubai
• Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao