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 "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. Copy 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 to 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, etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742
3.) TransUnion : 800-680 - 7289
4.) Social Security Administration
(fraud line):
800-269-0271
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 "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. Copy 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 to 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, etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742
3.) TransUnion : 800-680 - 7289
4.) Social Security Administration
(fraud line):
800-269-0271
