11/26/07 I  received this email and added it to my financial notes in Keep and Share.

 

 

ATTORNEY's  ADVICE - NO CHARGE - Not A Joke

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 writing a check to pay on your credit card
account, 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.& nbsp; 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 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:          800-525-6285

  2.) Experian  (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

  3.) Trans Union : 800-680 7289

  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.

MAKE A COPY OF THIS INFORMATION AND KEEP IT IN A SAFE PLACE!!