Subject:
ATTORNEY'S ADVICE -- NO CHARGE
Please take the time to read this. Very good 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
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.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
2.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
3.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
4.) Trans
We pass along jokes on the Internet. We pass along
just about everything.
But if you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help
someone that you care about.