AN
ATTORNEY'S ADVICE
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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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:
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 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).
3. 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
