carreer and business - TRANSITIONS

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career & business

ways to insure against identity theft

Do not sign the back of your credit cards – put ‘Photo ID Required’ instead.
When writing checks to pay on your credit cards, DO NOT put the complete account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. They will know the rest.
Put your work phone # on your checks instead of home phone #. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of home address. If you don’t have a PO Box, use work address. NEVER IMPRINT SSN on your checks. You can add them manually if necessary (not usually requested).
Place contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine and copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will then know exactly what was in your wallet, account numbers and phone numbers to call to cancel if wallet is stolen or lost. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Passport copy is a good idea as well.

When Theft or Loss occurs

When theft or loss occurs, cancel credit cards immediately. Having his photocopy of who to call makes that possible.
File a police report immediately upon noticing these items are missing in the jurisdiction where it occurred. This shows credit providers you were diligent and is the first step toward an investigation if needed.
Call 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call Social Security Fraud Line. When you do this, they know that your information was stolen and requires contacting you by phone to authorize new credit.

Phone Numbers to Know