Not always but some do tell the truth

 Hope you never have need of the following. 
 
 
ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE 
 
Not A Joke!! Even If you dislike attorneys..You will love them for these 
tips. 
 
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 'Second form 
of ID required.' 
 
2. 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. 
 
3. 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. 
 
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.. 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: 
 
5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cardsimmediately. 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. 
 
6.. 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..) 
 
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 
initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before 
placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has be en 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