Here is a personal experience that proves the bit about initials on checks is wrong:
Doing my monthly personal bills, I inadvertently sent my water payment check to the mortgage company. Guess what, they processed it and applied it to our account. So, if a bank does not even check to see who the check is written to, why would you expect them to check who the check is from? John T eServices For You > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:Declude.JunkMail- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan Geiser > Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 2:21 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Declude.JunkMail] WAY OT: Anti- Identity theft advice > > And here's the obligatory page from Snopes, > http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/credit.htm. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marc Catuogno" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 10:25 AM > Subject: [Declude.JunkMail] WAY OT: Anti- Identity theft advice > > > I have a great deal of respect for the people on this list and I hope you > don't feel this is a waste of time. I got this e-mail from one of my agents > and I am going to share it with the entire company - I thought maybe some of > you would care to do the same. I searched Hoasbusters.org first and called > the numbers and they are legit. > > > 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. 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 > 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 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. > > --- > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > --- > This E-mail came from the Declude.JunkMail mailing list. To > unsubscribe, just send an E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], and > type "unsubscribe Declude.JunkMail". The archives can be found > at http://www.mail-archive.com. > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > E-mail scanned for viruses by Nexus (http://www.ntgrp.com/mailscan) > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > E-mail scanned for viruses by Nexus (http://www.ntgrp.com/mailscan) > > --- > This E-mail came from the Declude.JunkMail mailing list. To > unsubscribe, just send an E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], and > type "unsubscribe Declude.JunkMail". The archives can be found > at http://www.mail-archive.com. --- This E-mail came from the Declude.JunkMail mailing list. To unsubscribe, just send an E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], and type "unsubscribe Declude.JunkMail". The archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com.
