For your safety consider the following: 1. DO NOT SIGN THE BACK OF YOUR CREDIT CARD. INSTEAD, PUT PHOTO ID REQUIRED. Force the merchant to verify who is using the credit card, if they dont they may have to eat the loss. 2. When writing a check 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 wont have access to it. 3. Put your work phone number on your check 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 Social Security Number printed on your checks. (DUH!). 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. 5. FILE A POLICE REPORT IMMEDIATELY in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This will prove to the credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). 6. MOST IMPORTANT, call the 3 national credit reporting agencies immediately and place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by telephone to authorize new credit. Equifax: 1-800-525-6275 Experian 1-888-397-3742 Trans Union 1-800-680-7289 Social Security Administration (fraud line) 1-800-269-0271.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:58:58 +0000
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