Saturday, September 17, 2011
An Attorney’s Tips on Preventing Identity Theft
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:
1. 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.
2. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a P.O. Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a P.O. 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.
3. 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.
4. Carry a photocopy of your passport when you 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.
The corporate attorney who sent his employees the memo was motivated because he had recently had his wallet stolen. Within a week, the thieves 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 his driving record information online, and more.
Here is some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
5. 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.
6. 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:
7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line 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 the corporate attorney 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 the attorney knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw his wallet away (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, if it 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
Please share these tips with everyone you know so we can all prevent identity theft or at least know which steps to take to resolve identity theft.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Christian Fraternity Sues the University of Florida for Recognition
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal granted Beta Upsilon Chi’s time-sensitive motion for injunction pending appeal. The University must now recognize BYX during the appeals process. This favorable ruling protects BYX’s ability to pursue its ministry to students during the crucial period of time at the beginning of the school year.
Summary
Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), aka Brothers Under Christ is a Christian men’s fraternity that is dedicated to instilling Christian values in college men through Bible studies, accountability groups, and other activities. BYX was denied recognition as a registered student organization by the University of Florida because BYX requires its members to be Christian. The university perceived this requirement as a violation of the school policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion. By denying recognition to BYX, the university excluded it from a number of benefits made available to all other registered student organizations, including participation in the student organization fair, use of the facilities on campus, and access to channels of communication such as bulletin boards and listservs.
On July 10, 2007, counsel for BYX initiated a lawsuit against the University of Florida challenging the university’s exclusion of BYX as a violation of BYX’s First Amendment rights, including the right of expressive association. The right of expressive association protects an organization’s ability to form around a set of shared principles. As stated above, the purpose of BYX is to instill Christian values in college men, and this purpose will be hindered by the forced inclusion of individuals who are hostile to BYX’s shared faith commitments. Accordingly, BYX seeks a judicial declaration that the Constitution requires the University of Florida to recognize BYX as a registered student organization, with all the benefits that flow from such recognition.
On October 17, 2007, counsel for BYX filed a motion for preliminary injunction, in light of the irreparable harm caused by the University of Florida’s denial of recognition. For example, the University of Florida’s actions have hindered BYX from recruiting new members during fall rush, the most crucial time in the year for recruitment, and call into question the group’s continued viability. The district court rejected BYX’s motion on May 28, 2008.
On July 30, 2008, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted BYX’s time-sensitive motion for injunction pending appeal, thereby protecting BYX’s ability to recruit new members during fall rush as the circuit court considers BYX’s appeal of the district court’s decision.
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