| ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE [message #87615] |
Thu, 05 July 2007 09:25 |
excelav
Messages: 2130
Registered: July 2005
Location: Metro Detroit
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Senior Member |
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ATTORNEY'S 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 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.
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:
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 here's 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
th
em dead in their tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your
wallet, etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 800-6807289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):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.
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