Six tips to avoid disaster after a disaster

What two things are guaranteed to never show up on a bucket list? First, how about becoming the victim of a natural disaster? Nobody wants that. But, if that disaster does strike, the next item guaranteed to be on that list is having someone scam you while you’re trying to recover.

One of the side effects of Tropical Storm Iselle was to provide an early reminder that the people who make a living by taking advantage of others are alive and well, even in paradise. A scant two weeks after Iselle pounded areas of the Big Island of Hawaii in early August with over four inches of rain per hour and high winds, Hawaii Electric Light reported that customers were being called by someone claiming to be a claims representative of the company. The caller was reportedly asking for social security numbers to expedite claims.

The main point to take away from this example is that no matter what disaster occurs, no service provider, legitimate company, or charitable organization is going to be calling or emailing to ask victims for personal information. Sadly, in the heat of crisis, we tend to want to believe even in small miracles. That “miracle” might come in the form of a call or email saying help will be on the way after the caller provides a few personal details. Nothing could be further from the truth, but plenty of people still fall for this scam.

Here are six tips to keep in mind should that terrible day arrive:

Do NOT:

• Provide personal, confidential or financial information to an unidentified individual.
• Respond to callers from an unidentified phone number.
• Trust CallerID or any information the caller provides. Today’s technology makes it easy to spoof a caller’s phone number. In other words, those HELCO customers might have thought it was their electric company calling when in fact it was a crook with special software.

DO:

• Ask questions and demand identification. However, be cautious because some scammers have fake IDs.
• Verify what the caller is saying by calling the company or organization they claim to be from. Look up the phone number or website address independently.
• Report any suspicious activity to local police.