Checklist helps disaster victims protect their identities as well as themselves. Advance planning can protect you according to consumer advocacy website, CreditFYI.com
Norwalk, CT. (PRWEB) July 20, 2009 -- The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season is part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season officially started on June 1 and on November 30. "During a natural disaster, the first thing you'll think about is your family's safety. Probably the last thing you think about is identity theft. Unfortunately, it's probably the first thing identity theft criminals think about, but a little advance planning can protect you," says CreditFYI.com, a leading consumer advocacy website on consumer credit and fraud.
CreditFYI has developed a seven-point checklist to help disaster victims protect their identities as well as themselves:
Before a natural disaster strikes
1. Make copies of important documents for each family member, and secure them in a portable, fireproof safe or a waterproof plastic bag. If you have access to a computer and scanner, scan these documents, and keep electronic records on and off your premises. These documents should include:
2. Identify who in your family will be responsible for grabbing the safe or bag of documents (or electronic file) during an evacuation.
3. Following devastating tornados or windstorms, many items, including file cabinets, can be blown more than a half-mile from where they were stored, with papers strewn about for blocks. After Hurricane Katrina, the SeaWorld sign ended up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 70 miles from the Gulfport aquarium. To avoid this scenario, scan all proprietary and personal identifying information into your computer, and encrypt the files so no one else can view them without the encryption key. Copy all information onto a disk, and store the disk in your safe/waterproof bag.
4. Shred older documents, like credit card or bank account statements that are more than seven years old. Remember, the more you eliminate now, the less you'll need to safeguard. Law enforcement may prevent you from returning to your home after a hurricane, which can allow looters to sort through old paperwork you have accumulated.
After a natural disaster
5. If you stay at a shelter, don't let these documents out of your sight. Guard them even if you are staying with fri. (In most cases, the identity thief knows the victim.)
6. Be wary of phone calls or emails from anyone claiming to represent a company you do business with. Get their name and call the company back, using your own contact information to do so. Never provide bank account numbers, credit card information or Social Security numbers when you have not initiated the call. Don't respond to solicitations for donations from supposed relief groups unless you initiated the contact.
7. Monitor your credit for at least several months by periodically ordering a credit report from one or more of the three credit bureaus to ensure that no one has assumed your identity. Review it for accuracy, and follow up on any accounts or questionable data you are not familiar with. It's best to use a credit reporting services that provides reports from all three major credit bureaus -- Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
According to the 2008 Natural Disaster Risk Rankings from Sustainlane.com, of the nation's 50 largest cities, the three cities most at risk for a natural disaster are Miami, which is located on an exposed peninsula between two active hurricane zones; New Orleans; and Oakland, which sits atop the Hayward Earthquake Fault. The three safest cities are Mesa, Arizona; Milwaukee; and Cleveland.
About CreditFYI.com
CreditFYI.com is a leading consumer advocacy website on consumer credit and fraud. For more information, visit www.creditfyi.com or call the consumer hotline.
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