Attorney's Advice - No Charge!
- Sent to me by a fellow researcher -
(Posted here by Wes Penre, January 29, 2005)

 Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. A corporate attornesent 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 won't 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. But 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. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when 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, and 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:

  1. 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.

  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).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

  3. Call the 3 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, 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:  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. But if you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help someone that you care about.  ...Which is what I just did.