Deer Park Neighborhood

Preventing Fraud

There are certain steps you can take to ensure you don’t become a victim to fraud. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED." 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. 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. 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. You should also carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel either here or abroad. By following these tips you will make it a little more difficult for criminals to defraud you.