Pen Helps Fight Fraud

Until one nightmarish day in August 1996, Mari Frank, an attorney, never knew there was a Bank of New York in Delaware. It turns out there was a lot more she didn't know. "I got a call from the bank, and the woman on the phone told me I had an $11,000 bill," Frank says. "I thought she had the wrong number."

Frank was ready to hang up, but the bank representative persisted. She read off personal information like Frank's social security number, matching it to billing statements and a credit report. After a few agonizing minutes, Frank realized what had happened. "I was a victim when people didn't know what identity theft was," she says.

Stunned, Frank had to get some answers quickly. She spent almost an entire night calling credit reporting agencies, asking for original card applications and billing statements and trying to understand the full extent of the fraud. Eventually, Frank learned she was on the hook for $50,000 of debt. "It was pretty terrifying," she says.

Finding someone to help her through the ordeal proved even trickier than tracking down the actual fraud. Her local police department wouldn't help. Neither would the FBI or even the Secret Service, which has jurisdiction. But Frank didn't give up. "I had to become a private detective," she says. "It was so labor-intensive."

Finally, after finding a list of resources for identity theft victims online, Frank shifted her focus to Ventura, CA, where the crimes were committed. With the help of a sympathetic police officer there – who had been a victim of identity theft himself – Frank was remarkably able to find the person responsible for the fraud. The thief was a 36-year-old woman who worked in a legal office as a secretary. "She was passing out business cards and posing as me," Frank says.  

It wasn't long before Frank's story gained national attention. She appeared on programs like Dateline and 48 Hours, testified before Congress and even helped write identity theft statutes in California. Today, dedicating her time to help victims, she's considered one of the nation's foremost identity theft experts. "Everything happens for a reason," she says.

As part of her work, Frank has made a connection to the promotional products industry, serving as a spokesperson for uni-ball gel pens. Several uni-ball pens contain specially formulated ink that can't be washed from a check. "When they asked me to be an expert for them, I was honored to do that," Frank says. "I give these pens out when I go to speaking engagements and presentations."

To find out more about fraud-preventing pens and other great promotional products for the financial industry, contact your distributor partner.

From Successful Promotions

Promo Items Boost Business For Financial Advisors

Certified financial planner Jon L. Ten Haagen often speaks at seminars on financial planning. “I present on timely matters and give enough information that people realize they need more, so they come in for a consultation,” says Ten Haagen. These talks give Ten Haagen the opportunity to provide attendees with promotional giveaways, including a refrigerator magnet. 

Ten Haagen has a host of promotional refrigerator magnets. Designed to look like an old-fashioned phone, the magnets feature his firm’s contact information. He has been giving them out for years, and they continue to pay dividends.

“There are many times I will get a call from someone telling me they saw the magnet on someone’s refrigerator and asked the person about it,” says Ten Haagen, founder of Ten Haagen Financial Group.

Ten Haagen often gives two magnets to clients. “I ask them to put one on their refrigerator and give another to a relative or friend,” says Ten Haagen. “You never know where it will lead. I’ll get calls from friends and relatives who see them.”

Additionally, Ten Haagen gives out promotional pens and small flashlights that fit on keyrings, which feature his firm’s information. A boater, Ten Haagen supplies keyrings that float to other mariners at his yacht club. “Boaters are always losing their keys overboard,” he says with a laugh.

One of the ways Irwin Gross, a partner with Family Wealth Partners, achieves his thriving referral rate is through personalized service, which includes sending consolidated financial reports four times a year and customized birthday cards. Gross bolsters this outreach with promotional product initiatives that include giving clients laser-printed notepad holders, personalized pens and plaques.

Wealth manager Annette Bau builds relationships, in part, through sending personalized cards and food gifts, such as truffles on Valentine’s Day. She also hosts soirees for clients, including a salsa dancing event on Cinco de Mayo. Such events provide a great opportunity for memorable, promotional giveaways. “It’s important that you build a relationship,” says Bau.

Often, personal finance firms sponsor events, such as charity walks or community initiatives. Using imprinted items like T-shirts, caps and water bottles gets a firm’s name featured prominently and positively.

From:  Successful Promotions

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