Emergency Preparedness Committee: Be Prepared

Unfortunately, I don’t usually bring you good news but rather tips and methods to BE PREPARED for events such as earthquakes, fires, brown outs, etc. Many of these disasters, fortunately, don’t ever seem to strike us, BUT, they do happen, so the smart ones among us are prepared—like those who took the CPR class we offered last week or participated in emergency readiness events duringSeptember’s National Preparedness Month.
A topic that has drawn my attention BIG TIME recently concerns the ever-increasing schemes on the Dark Web, internet scams, fraud, identity theft, and bad guys that know how to prey on the unsuspecting. The facts are staggering: In 2017, there were 829 data breaches in the United States, exposing over 2 billion individual records (YES, that was billion, with a “B”). Identity fraud—using personal identifying information to steal money from victims— is at an all-time high, with 16.7 million Americans losing nearly $17 billion in in 2017.
Much of this theft is not used directly by the thieves mining your personal data, but by selling it to others who then go after your information to purchase goods, empty your financial accounts, and expose your privacy in a multitude of other ways.
How do we protect ourselves? To start the process, set up text alerts for all your monetary transactions. Your smartphone can be an excellent line of defense against financial fraud. Sign up, FOR FREE, with your credit card provider and/or bank to receive text alerts any time a transaction over a certain amount takes place.
NEVER, EVER provide financial information to someone who phones you! AND, the same for false emails from phony sites pretending to be banks, department stores, or other companies asking you to update your personal or financial info. NEVER provide this, but simply call the institution asking if it’s a legitimate request.
The list of frauds and scams goes on and on. DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK. Visit AARP’s Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. Every four months, go to the website annualcreditreport.com and request a credit report from one of the three major bureaus.
You are entitled to a free credit report yearly from any ofthe reporting companies. By staggering your inquiries like that, you’re essentially monitoring your financial information year-round.
This process of being VIGILANT is ongoing. Call your bank, your retirement account provider, credit card
company, and ask them for their suggestions on how you can better protect your personal information and security.
Various insurance providers now offer identity theft monitoring for their customers at a small cost, or free in some cases such as the Auto Club. Protect yourself.
Now that October’s here, just a quick heads-up on one of my favorite holidays, HALLOWEEN. Watch your kids and check out their treat baskets for bad stuff (yes, it does happen). Even in the Shores we still have to be vigilant of drivers at night, so caution your little ones not to run out on the street when trick or treating. And drive with extra care when the kids are out and about.
—Kent Wellbrock