How to Rob a Bank

First of all… I am not teaching people how to rob a bank. That’s illegal.

And second of all, people are not robbing banks at gun point anymore, they are robbing them over the internet, or through the mail, doing cyber-crimes.

A great show worth watching on IDENTITY THEFT, was on CNN a few weeks ago, called, “How to Rob A Bank” where they spend an hour or so doing an expose’ on how easy it is to steal data from the web, and steal identities. If you think you are protected from Identity Theft and that I won’t happen to you, then you are sadly mistaken.

You can watch the show online here from CNN or catch it on your local cable channel.

Regarless of if you watch the show, please read this article, as it might be the most important article you read, and please take the time to watch the show and then, I have solution, which I’ll share with you at the bottom.

A corporate attorney friend of mine sent the following out to the employees in his company.

It’s worth reading and doing.

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. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED.”

3. 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 will not have access to it.

4. 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, (DUH!). You can add it if it is necessary. However, if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. 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. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here or abroad. We have all heard horror stories about fraud that is committed on us in
stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

6. When you check out of a hotel that uses cards for keys (and they all seem to do that now), do not turn the “keys” in. Take them with you and destroy them. Those little cards have on them all of the information you gave the hotel, including address and credit card numbers and expiration dates. Someone with a card reader, or employee of the hotel, can access all that information with no problem whatsoever.

Jeff Mills experienced this personally in 2000, when we had $24,000 stolen out of our checking account. Someone in Miami, stole our checking acct info, created fals checks and a false ATM card/credit card and began charging on our account for about a month.

Fraud Dept at our bank caught it that month, called us, did an investigation and got all our money back quick, it was awesome. But I don’t think they ever caught the dude. He bought cars, computers and all kinds of stuff on our account. Once we found out, closed the account, things were back to normal, but I can tell you, it’s not fun being violated this way and thank God…. Our bank, US BANK, was so good to us and on it fast!

(AUTHOR) Unfortunately, as an attorney, I have first hand knowledge too 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 and received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online. Here is 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. 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). However, here is what is perhaps most important of all (I never even thought to do this.)

3. 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 dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet and contents being stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):1-800-269-0271

Jeff’s Hot Tip: Read up on HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF and get this report.

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