In last month's chronicle I discussed the reasons behind our change to the St. Louis County Police.  Keeping with city protection issues, I want to share with you ways to protect your identity and personal information.  The following suggestions are from the Missouri Crime Prevention Association.  They suggest: 

• Do not sign the back of your credit cards.  Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".
• When writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For/Memo" 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 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 and/or Drivers License Number 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 in the event you lose your wallet.  Keep the photocopy in a safe place.  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.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.  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.

For additional information their web site is www.mocrimeprevention.org. 

One additional note from our County Police is to shred or destroy any credit card applications you receive in the mail, even if you just intend on throwing it away and to shred or make illegible any document that contains your account number, password, or social security number before you dispose of it.