By Col. Raymond Lacey
Did you know ... that you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim of fraud'
The use of credit cards and other electronic means of moving money and paying for purchases has made buying stuff easier and transactions quicker and more efficient.
This is the time of year when the credit cards are flying fast and furious and the personal checks are getting more signatures than the Declaration of Independence. But, there are some things you can do to keep yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.
The next time you order checks, have only your initials, instead of first name, and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, 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.
Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, write "Phtoto 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 numbers, 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 number on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a post office box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a P.O. Box, use your work address. Never have your Social Security Number printed on your checks. 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 have all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call so you can cancel those cards. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
If you lose your wallet, or it was stolen, somebody could order an expensive monthly cell phone package, apply for a credit card, have a credit line approved to buy a computer, receive a PIN number from the Department of Motor Vehicles to change your driving record information online, and more. It could make life very difficult and annoying for you.
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.
File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your items were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation.
And, perhaps most important of all: Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security Number. 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 to contact: Equifax: 800-525-6285; Experian (formerly TRW: 888-397-3742; Trans Union 800-680-7289; Social Security Administration fraud line: 800-269-0271
Social Sharing