ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE

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
20credit 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 yo u 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. Wit hin a
week, the thieve(S) o rdered 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 an d 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., was 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 initia ted 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

SEE YOU IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA!!!!

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