Things to do when you have lost your wallet

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 "PHOTO  
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 POBox 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 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:

 5.. 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.

 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 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, if it has been stolen:

 1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285

 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

 3.) Trans Union: 800-680-7289

 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 800-269-0271

 PASS THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR FRIENDS.