ATTORNEY'S ADVICE-----NO CHARGE

[sea scape]

>
>A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his
>company.
>
>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. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID
>REQUIRED."
>
>3. 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 will not have access to it.
>
>4. 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.
>
>However, if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
>
>5. 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. Also carry a photocopy of
>your passport when traveling either here or abroad. We have all heard
>horror stories about fraud that is committed on us in stealing a name,
>address, Social Security number, credit cards.
>
>6. When you check out of a hotel that uses cards for! keys (and they all
>seem to do that now), do not turn the "keys" in. Take them with you and
>destroy them. Those little cards have on them all of the information you
>gave the hotel, including address and credit card numbers and expiration
>dates.
>
>Someone with a card reader, ! or employee of the hotel, can access all
>that information with no prob lem whatsoever.
>
>Unfortunately, as an attorney, I have first hand 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 and received a PIN
>number from DMV to change my driving record information online.
>
>Here is 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. 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).
>
>However, here is what is perhaps most important of all (I never even
>thought to do this.)
>
>
>
>3. 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, a! nd
>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
>and contents being stolen:
>
>1.) Equifax: 1! -800-525-6285
>
>2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
>
>3.) TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
>
>4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
>
>We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about
>everything. Nevertheless, if you are willing to pass this information
>along, it could really help someone about who you care.
>

[divemaster]

excellent post Surf a lot of the information I just read about was very useful and I would not have thought about doing it now I will.