AN ATTORNEY'S ADVICE

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An Attorney's Advice - Please share with others

AN ATTORNEY'S ADVICE

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. 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. 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 our 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, etc.

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 it was stolen,

this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an

investigation (if there ever is one).

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

3. Call the three 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 in their tracks.

The numbers are:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289

Social Security Administration (fraud line):

1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything. Pass

this information along. It could really help someone you care about.

~ " We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a

little of each other everywhere. " ~

~ " If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the

entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. "