Fraud
Excellent advice from an attorney -- and at no charge!
- 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 yourfirst
name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
- Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID
REQUIRED".
- 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.
- 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 SIN# printed on
your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it
printed, anyone can get it.
- 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 travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror
stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address,
SIN, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, (
this advice was given by an attorney ... who remains nameless)
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:
- 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.
- 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.)
- Call the two national credit reporting organizations immediately to
place fraud alert on your name and Social Insurance 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. being stolen:
Canada
1. Equifax Canada: 1-877-249-2705
2. TransUnion: 1-877-525-3823
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. (www.inforoadkill.com)
