From: "Misako" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,"'Costa-Weldon Mariana, Wifi Do. Bildung'"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: "'mark romero'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: Identity Theft
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:30:21 -0500
Dear Mariana,
Thank you so much for forwarding this.
I e-mail to my husband as CC.
We better be careful all the time.
Take a good care of yourself.
Misako
-----Original Message-----
From: mcw [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 4:25 AM
To: Costa-Weldon Mariana, Wifi Do. Bildung
Subject: Fw: Identity Theft
it seems like sound advice. had same thing happen to me many
years ago in
Canada! It is good to know what to do.
---------- Forwarded Message -----------
From: "Christy Smoot" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 07:43:02 +0000
Subject: Identity Theft
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 aPO 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.
-----------------------------------------------
Jennifer Christine Smoot M,Ed
-----------------------------------------------
T +43 699 10522333
@ [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----------------------------------------------
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------- End of Forwarded Message -------
