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Identity Theft Resource Center
- ID Theft Center.org
From a forwarded email:
Good Banking Advice
An attorney's advice and it's FREE! 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:
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 he 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 umbers 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'scommitted 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 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.
