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