Valuable Advice from Amara Al Amir

Regarding carrying money and wallets on shows, fraud and credit card theft.

As a Dancer you generally carry your pocketbook with your wallet with cash, drivers license and credit cards, etc.

#1 Don't

Leave all home except for $20 and a copy of your important papers like your drivers license, insurance card and registration. If necessary, one credit card or bank card for emergencies. 

If traveling by car, leave your pocketbook in the car, again not all your wallet contents and papers, what if your car got stolen. I once did a big show at the UN and 2 of the girls were traveling with their entire costume collection in a station wagon. After the show, they went to a nightclub to celebrate and their car was stolen. 

Anyway, if you do not have a car, then hide your few emergency dollars and papers in a sock in your dance bag. If in a restaurant, then ask the bartender to hold behind the  bar or lock the dressing room door,

Never leave it in an open bathroom where sometimes you are forced to change into your costume.

If in a bedroom of a  private home, then bring it to the room you are dancing in to watch.

If in a catering hall, ask the manager to lock the dressing room or office door where you change.

Or ask someone you trust to hold it for you. Many times the money you just made gets stolen in between shows.

Just be extra careful.

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. [Unable to display image]

Subject: An Attorney's Advice

Maybe we should all take some of his advice!

  A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:

  o The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them.


  o If someone takes your check book 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.


  o 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.


  o 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.


  o Never have your SS# printed on your checks (DUH!)
you can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.


  o 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.


  o Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad.


  o We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards, etc.


  Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) 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 DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.


  But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:


   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 easily.


   o File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).


  But here's what is perhaps most important: (I never even thought to do this).


   Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for
credit was made over the Internet in my 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.


   By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.


  There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert.
Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend.(someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks.


   The numbers are:

  Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
  Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
  Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289


  Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271