Many thanks to those of you who emailed with comments about the first issue of our electronic newsletter for district employees. I especially appreciate the comments of those who had suggestions for future editions.
Online instructor Judy Horn said, “Very Cool! As an online teacher I often feel out of the loop. This will make me feel more a part of the faculty. Only suggestion would be to enlarge the font a bit for us blurry eyed online instructors...”
Thanks for the kudos, Judy, and thanks for the suggestion. Suzy has now increased the font size to save our eyes.
In a later email, Judy also suggested she would like to get to “know” Lupe Luna and Lenore Simonson a little better since she frequently works with them. I’ve done short features on each of them. Take a look at the bottom of the front page.
Please let me know who else you would like to “meet.”
In closing, I want to share a little information with you about protecting your credit. I lost my purse just before Christmas. Fortunately, it was returned intact a few hours later but much damage could have been done. About six years ago, I was a victim of identify theft. Once again, I was very lucky to discover it before any serious damage had been done (although someone was doing bank robberies in L.A. in a car with license plates that were registered to me!). Take a few minutes and follow the recommendations below and save yourself and your family a lot of potential grief in the future.
~Frances
Be prepared in case of a lost or stolen wallet
This is a true story.
It was three days before Christmas. My daughter was having oral surgery at 8 a.m. and at 7 a.m. I was at the hardware store getting supplies for a driving trip later that day that my family was taking to spend Christmas with relatives in Utah. I did the unthinkable—I left my purse at the hardware store. When I reached for my insurance card at the oral surgeon’s office, I realized what I had done but the purse was no where to be found!
Let my unfortunate experience be your reminder to be prepared in case your wallet or purse is lost or stolen (and to help prevent identify theft).
Here are some important tips to keep in mind in case (thanks to our contract videographer Matt Miller who forwarded them in email from from a corporate attorney):
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 won't have access to it.
4. 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.
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. I also carry a
photocopy of my passport when 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.
Here's 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.
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.
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).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all:3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to
place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number.
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.
Here are the numbers you always need to contact about your
wallet, etc., 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
(I should also add that one of my first calls was to the West Hills M&O department to stop my keycard access.)