Attorneys advice, no charge

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This may be

some of the best advice you will ever receive, free of charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read, save and

distribute this information among those you care about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Not

A Joke!! Even

If you dislike attorneys..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You

will love them for these tips.

 

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.

 

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 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, 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.