A
Anonymous
Guest
ATTORNEY'S ADVICE -- NO CHARGE
Read this and make a copy for your files in case you
need to refer to
it
someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice!
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his
company.
1. The next time you order checks have only your
initials (instead of
first name) and last name put on them. If someone
takes your
checkbook,
they will not know if you sign your checks with just
your initials or
your
first name, but your bank will know how you sign your
checks.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.
Instead, put "PHOTO ID
REQUIRED".
3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit
card accounts,
DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For"
line. Instead,
just put
the last four numbers. The credit card company knows
the rest of the
number, and anyone who might be handling your check
as it passes
through
all the check processing channels won't have access
to it.
4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of
your home phone.
If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home
address. If you do
not
have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your
SS# printed on
your
checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But
if you have it
printed, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine. Do both
sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will
know what you had in
your
wallet and all of the account numbers and phone
numbers to call and
cancel.
Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a
photocopy of my
passport
when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard
horror stories
about
fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name,
address, Social
Security
number, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand
knowledge because my
wallet
was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s)
ordered an
expensive
monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit
card, had a
credit
line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a
PIN number from
DMV to
change my driving record information online,
and more. But here's some critical information to
limit the damage in
case this happens to you or someone you know:
1. We have been told we should cancel our credit
cards immediately.
But the
key is having the toll free numbers and your card
numbers handy so you
know
whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the
jurisdiction where your
credit
cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit
providers you were
diligent, and this is a first step toward an
investigation (if there
ever
is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all : (I
never even
thought
to do this.)
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations
immediately to
place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security
number. I had
never
heard of doing that until advised by a bank that
called to tell me an
application for credit was made over the Internet in
my name. The
alert
means any company that checks your credit knows your
information was
stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to
authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two
weeks after the
theft,
all the damage had been done. There are records of
all the credit
checks
initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I
knew
about before placing the alert. Since then, no
additional damage has
been
done, and the thieves threw my wallet away This
weekend (someone
turned it
in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their
tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact
about your
wallet,
etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
Read this and make a copy for your files in case you
need to refer to
it
someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice!
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his
company.
1. The next time you order checks have only your
initials (instead of
first name) and last name put on them. If someone
takes your
checkbook,
they will not know if you sign your checks with just
your initials or
your
first name, but your bank will know how you sign your
checks.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.
Instead, put "PHOTO ID
REQUIRED".
3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit
card accounts,
DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For"
line. Instead,
just put
the last four numbers. The credit card company knows
the rest of the
number, and anyone who might be handling your check
as it passes
through
all the check processing channels won't have access
to it.
4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of
your home phone.
If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home
address. If you do
not
have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your
SS# printed on
your
checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But
if you have it
printed, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine. Do both
sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will
know what you had in
your
wallet and all of the account numbers and phone
numbers to call and
cancel.
Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a
photocopy of my
passport
when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard
horror stories
about
fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name,
address, Social
Security
number, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand
knowledge because my
wallet
was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s)
ordered an
expensive
monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit
card, had a
credit
line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a
PIN number from
DMV to
change my driving record information online,
and more. But here's some critical information to
limit the damage in
case this happens to you or someone you know:
1. We have been told we should cancel our credit
cards immediately.
But the
key is having the toll free numbers and your card
numbers handy so you
know
whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the
jurisdiction where your
credit
cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit
providers you were
diligent, and this is a first step toward an
investigation (if there
ever
is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all : (I
never even
thought
to do this.)
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations
immediately to
place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security
number. I had
never
heard of doing that until advised by a bank that
called to tell me an
application for credit was made over the Internet in
my name. The
alert
means any company that checks your credit knows your
information was
stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to
authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two
weeks after the
theft,
all the damage had been done. There are records of
all the credit
checks
initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I
knew
about before placing the alert. Since then, no
additional damage has
been
done, and the thieves threw my wallet away This
weekend (someone
turned it
in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their
tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact
about your
wallet,
etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271