ID Theft - Attorney's Advice--No Charge

We recently received an Email with some important advice on how you can protect yourself against ID theft. With this crime so prevalent we thought this advice was to good not to share, so here it is in it's entirety:

Subject: ATTORNEY'S ADVICE -- NO CHARGE

Read this and make a copy for your filesin case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take someof his advice!A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.
1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead offirst 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 oryour first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO IDREQUIRED".
3 When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card acco unts, DONOTput the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just putthe last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of thenumber, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes throughall the check processing channels won't have access to it.
4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. Ifyou have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do nothave a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed onyour checks.(DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have itprinted, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do bothsides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had inyour wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call andcancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy ofmy passport when travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horrorstories 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 myWallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered anexpensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card,had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PINnumber from DMV to change my driving record information online,and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage incase this happens to you or someone you know:
1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. Butthe key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy soyou know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where yourcredit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you werediligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if thereever is one).But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thoughtto do this.)
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately toplace a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had neverheard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me anapplication for credit was made over the Internet in my name.The alert means any company that checks your credit knows yourinformation was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone toauthorize 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 checksinitiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about beforeplacing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, andthe thieves threw my wallet away. This weekend (someone turned it in). Itseems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet,etc., has been stolen:
1. Equifax: 1-800-525-62852.)
2. Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-37423.
3. Trans Union : 1-800-680-72894.
4. Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271