Identity Theft We can Help! Identity Theft is a growing concern among Americans since the incident of occurrence has increased dramatically and continues to rise with the growth of the internet. When Identity Theft does occur, it takes an extreme amount of time to undo the harm that has been done. Often, the financial harm can never completely be undone. Never can the emotional distress be undone that one goes through during the time one's identity has been stolen and the undoing of financial harm of the identity theft. The major factor allowing the growing harm of identity theft is the length of time of detection. Often the thieves divert credit card statements to other locations so that individuals do not know someone has stolen their identity and opened credit accounts. Sometimes, individuals simply do not pay close enough attention to credit card statements to notice charges are not theirs. Many times, the charges not made by the individual seem insignificant to the individual compared to the amount of time required to dispute unauthorized charges. So, they simply do not dispute charges thinking their time is worth more than the charges, not realizing, there will be continued unauthorized charges. Procedure for Enrolling Employee: 1. Get contract signed for Firm to represent. 2. Get Power of Attorney signed 3. Get Request & Release of Information Signed 4. Get Credit information completed including mortgage or rent, credit cards, utilities including cell phones 5. Get background information including employee number, address, phone number, social security number, driver's license number and any related information of spouse and other linked persons or businesses. 6. Get permission to place fraud alert on credit files where individuals have experienced problems 7. Affidavit Form Basic Services Provided: 1. Set up individual file with access for employee/client 2. Provide credit reports from all three major credit agencies quarterly 3. Have all credit cards listed in file 4. If any new credit card account appears in file an alert is sent to client via email and report and letter is printed to us to contact client for confirmation. A copy of automatic letter is kept in file. 5. If any charge to an account is disputed, client is to contact us immediately via phone, fax or opening file and accessing the account dispute icon in his file and clicking onto the proper account and typing into the format the information being disputed including the date of invoice, invoice number if appropriate, the charge transaction number and the amount of charges disputed. If the bills are not automatically being emailed to us, then client must mail, fax or email a copy of the statement with the disputed amount. The client's automatic dispute will automatically generate a letter to credit card company, to file, to hard copy file, and to client. If the client does not automatically dispute the charges, we will input the information upon receiving a copy of the disputed statement and generate the letters disputing the charges to computer file, hard copy to our file, to credit card company to all three credit reporting agencies, and client. 6. If the credit card company refuses to credit the disputed amount and the client continues to dispute the amount the following actions will be automatically taken within 30 days: 1. close account in dispute----re-open another account with another number upon client instruction. 2. Notify all three credit reporting agencies of dispute. 3. Notify all three credit reporting agencies of fraud alert 4. Notify all credit card companies to close accounts. Transfer all balances into a new account number 5. Notify employer of identity theft and to watch for possible other employees with theft. 6. Provide all statements sent to new email address---set up client to have online access to statements online where possible--Notice of Address change to all other creditors to client current address. 7. If a new credit card is not authorized by client: 1. Close the Account and notify credit card of identity fraud. 2. Notify all three credit reporting agencies of identity theft. 3. Notify all three credit reporting agencies of fraud alert 4. Notify all credit card companies to close accounts. Transfer all balances into a new account number 5. Notify employer of identity theft and to watch for possible other employees with theft. 6. Provide all statements sent to new email address---set up client to have online access to statements online where possible--Notice of Address change to all other creditors to client current address or authorized address. 8. If charges are continued disputed, we will dispute all valid disputes through the mediation process. 9. Any and all collection calls from any collection agency or creditor are to immediately be told our Law Firm represents client/employee and they are to contact us for any collection purposes. We will work with the creditor/collection agency to handle the fraud for legitimate disputed charges or accounts. If the call is for a valid debt, the employee will be referred to our credit counseling division. 10. We will work with all local, state and federal agencies to prosecute the identity theft. 11. We will provide all necessary paper work and tracking of notice and disputes of theft. 12. For any credit card companies that fail to credit the credit card account for either all the amount of the disputed charges or $50.00 depending upon the credit card agreement, we will prepare an Original Petition or Complaint to be filed and either turn the matter over to our legal department to file suit or to the client to seek their counsel of choice pursuant to the client's own financial arrangements. 13. For valid debts and collection activity, we will provide the following: 1. For a fee, we will negotiate and attempt to settle all debt for a lump sum payment into a consolidated loan and close out all credit cards. 2. For a fee, the bankruptcy attorney will file bankruptcy and client will retain only one credit card. 3. We will cancel the membership of the employee/client CREDIT CARD OR WALLET THEFT 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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, anyone can get it. 4. 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.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: 1. 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. 2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc. were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important of all : (I never even thought to do this.) 3.Call the 3 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 dead in their tracks. Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc. has been stolen. 1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271