Prevent Identity Theft

With Identity Theft on the rise, it is important to be proactive in protecting ourselves. Here are a few ideas that you might find helpful.

The next time you order checks, have only your first name initial (instead of your first name), plus last name, printed on the checks. That way, if someone gets ahold of your check book, they won't know your full name, so they won't know how to sign your checks. When you bank gets the checks, they'll know if it's your signature or not.

Rather than putting your home phone number printed on your checks, have your work number there, instead. And use a PO Box or a work address, also. And never put your Social Security number on your checks. (You know this.)

Instead of signing the back of your credit cards, write, "PHOTO ID REQUIRED", or "PHOTO ID ONLY". This way, when merchants do look at the back of your card, they'll know to ask for a picture matching the name on the front of the card. (Note that I use this method and few people actually ask me for my I.D., yet it's a good measure for when they do ask.)

OK, so here's something that's potentially as helpful as it gets: Empty your wallet and put all of the cards, pieces of I.D., etc. on a copy machine - front and back. Put the copies in a file someplace safe. If your wallet turns up missing, you'll have everything you need in order to call credit cards companies, etc. If you have a passport, photocopy it as well and carry it with you when you travel abroad. If you lose it, you'll have a photocopy, which may avoid trouble getting home.

When you send checks to pay for your credit card bills, only put the last four numbers from your account on the check. If the check falls into the wrong hands, nobody will know the full account number. If it's printed on the return statement that you're sending with your check, black out all but the last four. Note that this may not work for online bill payments. I tried it with my online payments and the merchants did not credit my account - they weren't where to post the credit. It wouldn't hurt to check with your credit card merchants first.

I use a gel pen only when I sign anything. Gel pen signatures cannot be "copied", so have yours ready whenever you have something requiring your signature.

Use your credit card instead of your ATM/VISA Check Card whenever possible. Using your ATM/VISA card makes your checking account number available to merchants and their employees. If they use your bank account number for criminal purposes, instead of your credit card number, they can empty your checking account, just as they could charge up a large balance on your credit card. The difference to you, however, is that your credit card company can't hold you liable for more than $50 per card, while your bank may have no such policy. As someone stated to me recently: "It's a lot easier to get the charges off your credit card than it is to get your bank to deposit money into your account after it's been spent.

Now, if you do end up losing your wallet, passport, credit cards, etc., call the three credit reporting agencies and have them place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. Here you go:
Equifax: 800.525.6285
Experian: 888.397.3742
TransUnion: 800.680.7289
Social Security Administration fraud line: 800.269.0271

In your corner. Tina Anders