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.
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 -- 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.
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company. I
pass it along, for your information. 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 thief
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 you should cancel your 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; we pass along just about everything. Do think about
passing this information along. It could really help someone you care about.
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