|
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 c omplete 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 will not 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. However, 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 yo ur wallet and all of the account numbers and phone
numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
Also carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here
or abroad. We have all heard horror stories about fraud that is
committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security
number, credit cards.
6. When you check out of a hotel that uses cards for! keys (and
they all seem to do that now), do not turn the "keys" in. Take
them with you and destroy them. Those little cards have on them
all of the information you gave the hotel, including address and
credit card numbers and expiration dates.
Someone with a card reader, or employee of the hotel, can access
all that information with no problem whatsoever.
Unfortunately, as an attorney, I have first hand 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
and received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record
information online. Here is 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. 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).
However, here is what is perhaps most important of all (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 dead in their tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your
wallet and contents being stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
We pass along jokes on the Intern et; we pass along just about
everything.
Nevertheless, if you are willing to pass this information along, it
could really help someone about whom you care.
|