From a Corporate Attorney (through Jay)

Good Advice for Credit Card Holders

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 "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.  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.

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.) Trans Union : 800-680-7289

           4.) Social Security Administration (fraud
line):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.