Attorney's Advice for Identity Theft
It seems today that we need to ever watchful of our identities being stolen. An email was sent to me by a friend who ran across information that a corporate attorney sent to the employees of his company to reduce the risk of being a victim of identity fraud. I would like to share these with you as it may help you or someone you know some day. Here they are:
1)
Do NOT sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".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 number 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 social security number printed on your checks (DUH!). 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. Also, carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that is committed on us in stealing a name, address, social security number, credit cards.
The attorney who wrote this article also said: "Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. 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 the DMV to change my driving record information online, and more." He went on to give 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 in investigation (if there ever is one).
7)
Most important, though, is to call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the social security fraud line number. This is important because an application for credit can be made over the internet in your 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. The attorney whose wallet was stolen didn't do this until two weeks after the wallet was stolen - and there were records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves purchases - which none he knew of before placing the alert. Since he placed the alert no additional damage had been done and the thieves threw away his wallet and someone turned it in as the thieves were no longer able to make purchases using his identity.
Now, here are the numbers you need to contact to notify about your wallet, etc being stolen:
1) Equifax: 800-525-6285
2) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742
3) Trans Union: 800-680-7289
4) Social Security Administration fraud line: 800-269-0271
Feel free to share this information with those you know.
Labels: credit cards, fraud, identity theft, wallet stolen
GET DUCKS IN A ROW BEFORE PUTTING HOME UP FOR SALE
Get Ducks in a Row before Putting Home up for Sale
In reading this article it occurred to me that it might be nice to share it with many others who are thinking of selling their homes. This article was just released through RIS Media.
By Alan J. Heavens
RISMEDIA, Sept. 16, 2008-(MCT)-A colleague has decided to downsize to a condo and has added her house to the substantial existing-home inventory in Philadelphia.
She and her late husband were part of the urban-pioneering movement in their neighborhood in the early 1970s. For their efforts, and as a result of the housing boom in the early part of this decade, they accumulated a substantial amount of equity that even this bump in the real estate road cannot reduce.
But she faces a buyer’s market, with all that implies, made more difficult by tighter credit in the aftermath of the subprime debacle of August 2007. The price she is asking is within the financial means of a young professional single or couple-I’ve seen newly minted lawyers buy Rittenhouse Square condos for about the same amount.
She also is willing to negotiate, and that puts her ahead of the pack. Agents tell me that there are plenty of sellers who remain unwilling to budge from the wrongheaded “but my neighbor sold his house in 2006 for a zillion dollars” view of proper pricing.
Still, she and her agent realize that she cannot sell the house “as is.” With record inventory on the city market and sales down about 25% from a year ago, buyers can afford to be picky. So seller and agent need to come up with a game plan to turn the house into a sale. Simple things: Toilets need to flush, faucets mustn’t drip or drain sluggishly, water heaters must operate properly. Heating and central air-conditioning systems go without saying. It would be better if they were newer, for the sake of maximum energy efficiency, but if they operate properly and well, and look as if they’ll do the job for a few more years, then they should be fine. Prospective buyers may ask to see your monthly heating and cooling bills, as well as your water bills.
Living costs are rising, salaries are flat, and today’s buyers are adding a whole host of expenses to the monthly mortgage payment to see whether they can handle homeownership. Lots of insulation, efficient windows and doors, a roof that doesn’t leak or need replacement, gutters and chimneys that are clean and in good working order are also important.
The exterior of a house tends to be more a buyer issue than the interior, since the innards are exposed to the wider world by invitation only. Today’s shoppers won’t be fooled by mulch or freshly planted flowers, just as they know the potpourri, freshly baked bread and boiled cinnamon stick ploys, too. If the exterior needs painting and repair, pay for it. If the interior is gorgeous but too dark, washing the windows will let in natural light.
Don’t worry about the interior. If they don’t like the colors, that’s easy to change. Remember, listen to your agent. One who’s worth the commission will know the market and the competition.
Most of all, hang in there. It may take awhile, but your house will sell - maybe even for more than the “proper price.”
© 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer.Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to:
realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
Labels: painting, repairs, selling home, staging your home
WOW! DID YOU KNOW THAT?
A friend sent me this information via email. Not sure where the information came from, but it certainly is interesting.
LIFE IN THE 1500'S
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence
the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying,
Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water.
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying
It's raining cats and dogs.
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.
That's how canopy beds came into existence.The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying,
Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway.
Hence the saying a thresh hold.(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme,
Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could,
bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and
chew the fat.Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so,
tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or
the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence
the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be,
saved by the bell or was considered
a dead ringer.
And that's the truth!
Labels: baby and bath water, idioms, sayings, wake
You can discover and learn what is going on in the City of Port St Lucie by clicking on to the above link. The good news I wanted to share with you is this (which I have copied and pasted from the city's website), for your information.
City Council To Leave Property Tax Rate Unchanged The City Council will leave the property tax rate of $4.22 per $1,000 of assessed value unchanged for the 2008–2009 budget year. The city’s rate—it's lowest since 1989—
is one of the lowest among Florida’s larger cities and the lowest on the Treasure Coast. Given the pressure on the city's budget from lower revenues resulting from state-mandated cutbacks and lower property valuations, maintaining the low rate means some services may be reduced in the years ahead. For the past 18 months, in anticipation of lower revenues, the city has been doing everything it can to limit expenses to minimize the disruption of services to residents. You can click on to the above link to find out more information.
Labels: Port St Lucie, property taxes, taxes
DANGERS OF USING CREDIT CARDS
SCENE 1. This is a new one. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't they?
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker.
After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker.Hmm.' He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order.
Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whopping bill of $14,000!
He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions.
Customer care personnel verified that there was no Mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen. 'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet.
The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict:
The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing
earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.
How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy?
$9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies.
It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to one big one!
SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.
The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person. He called the waitress and she looked perplexed.
She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man.
All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card.
No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.
Verdict:
Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours.
Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time.
Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
SCENE 3: Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in.
I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.
I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture..
He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on.
It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open.
About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the
picture has been saved.
Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card.
Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of
phone, I probably would never have known what happened.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times
Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card.
Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.
When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off.
Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there.
I have already been a victim of credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.
FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! JUST BE AWARE!
Labels: credit cards, scams, switching cards
New Rules for Mortgage Lenders
Fed Announces New Rules for Mortgage LendersThe Federal Reserve Board on Monday
announced rule changes for home mortgage lenders to help protect consumers from deceptive lending practices. The new rules, which amend Regulation Z of the Truth in Lending Act, adds four key protections for higher-priced mortgage loans. -Prepayment penalties will be banned if the payment can change in the initial four years. For other higher-priced loans, the prepayment penalty period cannot last more than two years. -Creditors must verify income and assets to determine repayment ability. -Lenders must establish escrow accounts for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. -Lenders are prohibited from making a loan without regard to the borrowers’ ability to repay the loan from income and assets other than the home’s value. In addition, the following rules apply to all mortgage loans regardless of price: -Mortgage lenders cannot coerce an real estate appraiser to misstate a home’s value; -Mortgage companies must provide a good faith estimate of the loan costs, including a schedule of payments, within three days after a consumer applies for a loan; -Loan companies will be prohibited from certain practices, such as pyramiding late fees. They will also be required to credit loan payments as of the receipt date and provide a payoff statement within a reasonable time period. All of the rules, except the escrow requirement, will take effect October 1, 2009. Posted Tue, Jul 15, 2008.
My thoughts - many of these "new rules" should have been already in place a long time ago. I do not understand why the Fed is giving lenders until October 2009 - a little more than a year from now, to implement these changes.
Labels: Fed Reserve, loans, mortgages, restrictions on mortgages
VODKA - Who Would Have Thought....
DIFFERENT USES FOR VODKA!
To remove a bandage without pain saturate the bandage with vodka. The stuff dissolves adhesive.
To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
Spray vodka on wine stains, scrub with a brush then blot dry.
Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
Fill a 16 oz. trigger spray bottle with vodka and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cub water into a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshing ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
AND SILLY ME! I thought it was only for drinking.....
Received this email from a friend. Not sure if this works or who composed it, but thought it was interesting and wanted to share with others. If in fact you know some of these things are valid and work, please let me know. Thank you!
