advise from attorney

[Guest guest]

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:

 

The next time you order checks, omit your first name and have only your

initials 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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. 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.

 

 

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:

 

 

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 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 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

 

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

 

 

ys,

Pandava vijaya dasa