Tips to Prevent (Hopefully) ID Theft and Fraud
Posted on April 18, 2007
Filed Under Lessons Learned, News |
I fell victim to ID theft not long ago and that’s definitely a hrad lesson. It took months before all the charges were cleared from my account and :
- 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 SS# 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 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.
- 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 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. !
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
If you live in Alameda County, here’s a workshop that you might want to attend.
Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) is hosting an Identity Theft Workshop Saturday, April 21st at the San Lorenzo Community Church located at 945 Paseo Grande in San Lorenzo from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in response to the recent credit card scam at the Albertson’s grocery store in San Lorenzo.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Department has reported that high-tech thieves have stolen more than $100,000 from over 80 customers at the Albertson’s grocery store located at 15840 Hesperian Boulevard in San Lorenzo.
A representative from the California Office of Privacy Protection and the lead investigator from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department will speak at the workshop and instruct the community on how best to report and respond to their financial institutions if they have been victimized. The speakers will also provide literature and helpful tips for dealing with this type of fraud as well as fraud involving the theft of personal social security numbers.
The identity theft workshop is open to the public. If you would like to attend, please contact Assemblymember Hayashi’s district office at (510) 583-8818. Free parking is available.
Comments
Leave a Reply
