Truth or Dare.

Photo by orphanjones

Credit Card Fraud.

We take great pains to prevent it. We don't let our credit cards out of our sight, for instance, and we never respond to those nutsy e-mails that begin, "Dear Madam" and end with, "send me your money."

We know better.

But one of the areas where we sometimes fail to exercise enough caution is in the area of preparing for fraud--as opposed to just trying to prevent it. What we don't like to think about may be the very things that we should consider.

Today's blog post is one giant Honcho Hint.

Consider how much faster it would be--once you realized that your card had been violated--to rush home, pull out a list of numbers, and start making the necessary phone calls? (As opposed to trying to remember what cards you had, what institutions they were associated with, etc.)

Though this is something that requires strategic thought and careful planning, I encourage you to copy your cards, whether on the copy machine or by hand, and hide that information somewhere in your home where no one--including someone who might break in--can find it. Copy down the names of the cards, the emergency phone numbers, and the account information. (Perhaps you can place this in a lock box or that secret room behind the bookcase?)

And whatever you do, don't leave your card in the copy machine.