Re: Possible Identity Theft - Please Advise!

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Zoe Miller) wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> Hello,
> 
> My Mother made a copy in a liquor store of a document she needed for
> the unemployment office.  She made the mistake of leaving the original
> in the copier when she left, and the paper has her social security
> number, name, address and everything on it.  She went back to the
> store later and there was no sign of it.  I'm really afraid that
> someone took it and will now use the info to open accounts and ruin
> her credit.  Is there anything she can do BEFORE anything happens,
> like alert the credit agencies, her creditors, or something?
> 
> Please advise, I'm worried sick about this.
> 
> Thanks,
> Zoe

That's wise to take some action now. Could save a great deal of time
and trouble later.
As previously mentioned a Fraud Alert might be in order. 

I subscribe to Privista, just the ID Safe product. $30/year. I receive
an a email weekly that scans credit checks or any new credit opened
plus a whole bunch of user selected parameters.
Is it frugal? Gives me piece of mind, since an undetected ID theft,
can turn into a paper work hell with huge costs. Cheap insurance,
which limits the damages from one of the fastest growing consumer
frauds.
Privista already located old credit accounts that were never closed
properly. Has detected every new credit account opened.

Privista: Control Your Credit and Protect Your Identity

https://www.privista.com/pl/privista/index.html


*More good info, including Fraud Alert...*

Subject: An Attorney's Advice on Identity Theft 

"Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney
sent the following out to the employees in his company:
* 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.
* 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 number 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 # on your checks instead of your home phone. If
you have a PO Box use that instead of your home o Never have your SS#
printed on your checks (DUH!) 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 all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call
and cancel.
* Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my
passport when I travel either here or abroad.
* 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 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 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: (I never even thought to do
this).
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  
ID Theft Hotline (FTC.gov)
877-ID THEFT
877-438-4338