Sierra Nevada Airstreams

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SierraNevadaAirstreams -|- Owners Guide

Protect yourself from stolen Identity

This article was written in 1999

Thanks to Chris C. for passing this along. The identity of the source is unknown and the suggestions may be a bit extreme but they are reasonable. The contact numbers were verified with web links cited. A few additional links have been added to help find out more information about identity theft and reporting.

Like any other type of security problem, the odds are very good you will not face this type of theft. But if or when you do, the results can be significant. So it pays to take a few basic precautions to prevent the crime and to be prepared just in case.

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:

The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your check book they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

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, etc.

Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand 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 on-line, 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 easily.

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important: (I never even thought to do this). Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security 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 in their tracks.

The numbers are: [ also see http://www.identitytheft.org/links.htm ] [ http://www.101-creditreport.com/address.htm ] [ https://www.comparitech.com/identity-theft-protection/credit-bureau-phone-numbers/ ]

We pass along jokes on the internet; we pass along just about everything. Pass this information along.

Also:

FTC ID theft complaint form: https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03

Don't forget the Attorney General's Office in the state - they often have useful information that can often be found on the state web site.

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Last updated 06/26/2019