I got this email and thought it had some good advice in it.  It is kinda long and I apologize for that now.


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.

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 -- you can add it if it is necessary.  But if you have it printed on your checks, 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.  

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company. I pass it along, for your information:

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 thieve(s) 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 online, 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 your 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:
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:
  Equifax:..........................1-800-525-6285
  Experian (formerly TRW):..........1-888-397-3742
  Trans Union:......................1-800-680-7289
  Social Security Administration
        (fraud line):...............1-800-269-0271

Thanks Dagwood!!! This surely is very valuable, important information.  :)

It's definitely better to be safe than sorry.

That is certainly some very helpful information. Fortunately, I've never had my checks/wallet/credit cards stolen, but it could happen to anyone, anytime...

I've never had it happen, either but it could.  It is a big worry of mine.

The only reason I have my phone number on my checks is that the stupid-@$$ stores want it on there!

Thanks Dag. Only one problem though: my SSN is also my bank account number. Whenever I make a transaction from my credit union, I have to tell them my SSN, so I had any payment I had there alloted from my paycheck instead of telling them to transfer my mony from one accout to the other.

Great advice, Dagwood.

I have had my wallet stolen.  I took it out of my purse, because I had no safe place to lock it up (this was when I was tutoring people in basic accounting at the community center).  It was in the pocket of my blazer, and the thief just reached in and took it without me (or anyone else) noticing.

I would like to add that if one of your credit card companies, or bank offers a service where you register all your info with them they will make all the phone calls for you, it may be worth the cost.  At the time my wallet was stolen, my local bank offered just such a service.  The second I noticed the wallet missing I called their 24-hour hotline, and they not only cancelled my ATM card, but they called all the credit card companies and the credit reporting bureaus.

It was well worth the money I was paying for the service when the police called me later the same night to tell me they had caught the thief, who was trying to use one of my credit cards.  (It had only been cancelled an hour before).

Like I said, this was originally an email and I thought that it had great ideas.  You can't be too careful anymore.  

I am thinking of changing my name to my initials on my checks.  Not only will a thief not know how I sign my name, he won't know what it truly is....HA!

Thanks for the great post.  I made a list of all of my wallet's contents - just incase.  It's funny you posted this because a few weeks ago my co-workers and I were saying that if anyone stole our wallets, we wouldn't know where to begin.  I didn't even realize what I had in my wallet until now.  I actually found my social security card (I needed it for something at school).  Imagine if someone got a hold of that information.  My gosh!  In Mississippi our Driver License is our SSN.  I used to have my number on my checks, but I realized that in today's world, that's just too crazy.

Thanks for the heads up!

Good advice.  I'm very leery about giving out info.

I was making an over-the-phone utility bill payment last week and the person on the other line asked me a few questions "To update our information".  Most of it was innocuous... address, work phone number, etc.  But then he asked me for my social security number.  Why would a utility company need that information?