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 you are writing checks to pay on your credit card
accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'Memo' 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. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if 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.
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.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about
your wallet, if it 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
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Topic: Good Advice (Read 3947 times)