|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 18,770
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Eastern USA
Posts: 18,770
|
Good Advice to Protect YOU!
GOOD ADVICE
An Attorney's Advice ...and it's free!
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:
The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of
first name)
and last name put on them.
If someone takes your check book 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.
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.
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. 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.
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, etc.
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.
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 easily.
File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was
stolen, this
proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step
toward an
investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important: (I never even thought to do
this).
Call the three 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 in their tracks.
The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration (fraud
line):
1-800-269-0271
We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about
everything. Pass
this information along. It could really help someone you care about.
And PS: I also include insurance cards and the like -- those can get
lost too.
|