From: Roger Pogue
Subject: Good Advise

We've all heard stories about fraud that's committed using your name, address, SSN, credit card numbers, etc. Unfortunately a friend now has firsthand knowledge because his wallet was stolen last month and within a week the thief/thieves had ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card package, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from GA-DMV to change his drivers license and personal 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.

Everyone always advises, cancel your credit cards immediately, but the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know who to having to hunt for them is additional stress you WON'T need at that point!).

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen, this proves to your credit providers that you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important. My friend never ever thought to do this. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SSN. He had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to talk with him because an application for credit was made over the Internet in his name. The alert means any company that checks your credit has to contact you by phone to authorize any new credit. By the time he was advised to do this - almost 2 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 he knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw his wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in to the police). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks.

The numbers are:

• Equifax 1-800-525-6285
• Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-301-7195
• Trans Union 1-800-680-7289
• Social Security Administration also has a fraud line at 1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes, we pass along cartoons, we pass along just about everything...do think about passing this information along.....it could help someone else in a time of misfortune.