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I.D. Theft I.D.
Theft Was
this forwarded to you from a friend with a suggestion to dial a toll free
number to opt out of this information sharing free for all, and to e-mail to
all your friends, and a comment to the effect that they have “tried it and it
works”. What
is wrong with this e-mail? To
begin, the credit bureaus do not and will not release your information to
“anyone who requests it” The person requesting this information must have a
legitimate reason for requesting it as defined in the “Fair Credit Reporting
Act”. Typically you must either initiate a transaction with the
business requesting the information, or give it express permission to pull
your report. Generally
the toll free number is a real “Opt-Out” service, but not what you may be
expecting. It normally is an opt out service for credit card solicitations,
which simply removes your name from a marketing list that is sold to credit
card lenders. Any
account you open with any financial institution, bank, or lender must give
you information about who they share their information with and give you the
option to prevent having some of your personal information shared or sold. Read
the fine print, let the company know that you do not want your information
shared or sold. You may need to fill out a form, but they don’t make it easy.
Generally there is no self-addressed stamped envelope. You have to do all the
work yourself. One
other thing, avoid using a debit card in restaurants if at all possible. It
is one of the easiest ways for any unscrupulous individual to copy your
number, or run it through a device that copies all the info from the magnetic
strip and soon your bank account may begin to be depleted. Another reason to
review your account regularly. With a credit card, the most you can be held
liable for in most cases is $50.00. There is no limit with a debit card.
Check with your bank to see what their policy is in that regard, some may
have limits, but it is likely your responsibility to catch the problem within
a set number of days. Any questions can be directed to
Benchmark Title at 618-239-3750. Please feel free to call or
email:
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Dates to Remember Be the first in your
office to try out SureClose.com,
Benchmark Title's new FREE online transaction management system. Why waste
time making status phone calls or standing by the fax waiting for your title
commitment when you can get what you need instantly from your own computer.
Visit SureClose.com for more
information or call April
Tolan, our SureClose Specialist, at 618-239-3750 for your sign-on so you
can start saving yourself time and money today. We'll even give you and your
clients a free CD at closing containing copies of their closing documents. Give me my policy! Did you know that
lenders and home buyers now receive their title policies at the closing
table? Contact Michelle
Null, VP Escrow Operations, to learn more about this exciting new
program. Ready to refi? Lenders and
homeowners will want to hear about our fantastically low new refinance rates.
Contact us today for a quote! Why wait? You can place your
next title order now by clicking here. Customer Feedback
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