Denny Eller
Well-Known Member
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:
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.
Instead, put 'Second form of 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 no t 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 first hand
knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month.
Within a week, the thieves 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
cardsimmediately. 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 be en 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, 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
We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along
just about everything.
If you are willing to pass this information along, it
could really help someone that you care about..
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:
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.
Instead, put 'Second form of 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 no t 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 first hand
knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month.
Within a week, the thieves 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
cardsimmediately. 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 be en 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, 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
We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along
just about everything.
If you are willing to pass this information along, it
could really help someone that you care about..