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Thought you might all be interested in this. We often talk about
security with respect to computers and networks, but most people
never pay attention to their own personal security.
Seeya,
Paul
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do
both sides of each license, credit card, etc., so you will
know what you had in your wallet and all of the account
numbers and phone numbers to call to cancel. Keep the photo-
copy in a safe place.
A corporate attorney sent this out to the employees in his
company. I pass it along, for your information.
We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed
using 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 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. 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 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; we pass along just about everything. Do
think about passing this information along. It could really
help a friend or someone in your family!
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