(serious) off topic -- identity theft, credit card fraud / smart idea to protect yourself.
(This was passed on to me).
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A corporate attorney sent this out to the employees in his company. I
pass it along, for your information.
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.
We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed us in your
name, address, SS#, credit, etc. Unfortunately I (the author of this
piece who happens to be an attorney) have firsthand knowledge, because
my wallet was stolen last month and 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. As everyone always advises, cancel
your 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 easily. 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 ever
thought to do this): Call the three national credit reporting
organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SS#.
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 2
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; we pass along just about everything. Do think about
passing this information along. It could really help someone. |
