ATTORNEYS 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. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put > PHOTO ID > REQUIRED. > > 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 wont 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 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. > Weve all heard horror stories about fraud thats 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 thieves 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 heres some critical information to limit the damage in > case this > happens to you or someone you know: > > 5. 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. > > 6.. 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 heres what is perhaps most important of all: (I never > even thought to > do this.) > > 7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations > immediately to place a > fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security > fraud line > 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, if > it has been stolen: > > 1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-62851-800-525-6285 > > 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 1-888-397-3742 > > 3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289 1-800-680 7289 > > 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): > > 1-800-269-0271 1-800-269-0271 > > We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just > about everything. > > If you are willing to pass this information along, it could > really help > someone that you care about. >
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:36:10 +0000
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