Preventive
Steps to Protect Against Credit Card Theft--Attorney's Advice--keep
this on hand!
December Rocky Report, 2004
Happy Holidays to one and all. I have been working
on another newsletter lately, and I will send it later, but I just
received this information from a great client, Garland Davis, and I
feel that this information is more important. I really appreciate
Garland for sending this to me. Some of you may already know
these things, but I found this email to be some of the best
information I have come across to help prevent a fraud disaster from
becoming a real earthquake in your life. Stolen Wallet! We all
know someone that this has happened to, and we just shudder at the
thought
of it happening to ourselves. So, I say make some
good decisions now, and in the event, God forbid, this should happen
to you, you won't feel so helpless. Take the actions described
below by this wise attorney, and it will do some good. Any control
we can have in this situation is soooooooooo helpful!
It would be worth checking the website.
Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer
to it someday. A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his company. We should all take some of his advice!
1. The next time you order checks have only your
initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If
someone takes your checkbook, 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.
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:
1. 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.
2. 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.)
3.Call the 3 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 dead in their tracks.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact
about your wallet, etc. has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
Of course, if you live in a country other than the
U.S., you will have different number to call, but you get the
idea...
I hope you will take this newsletter to heart, and
print it out, and make photocopies of all your important stuff! We
must be prepared these days. It will give you some comfort and
security tonight!
Happy New Year to you all!!! Thanks for subscribing!
Merry
Christmas, Everybody!