7 Ways to Protect Your Identity During a Natural Disaster

By Dawn Handschuh, Personal Finance Writer   

In the popular 1981 television drama, Hill Street Blues, Sergeant Esterhaus wrapped up his daily briefing by admonishing police officers, "Let's be careful out there."

That's still good advice, particularly when a natural disaster strikes. Whether it's a hurricane, tornado, flood or earthquake, it's hard to find a part of the United States that's not vulnerable to a natural disaster.

According to one study of the nation's 50 largest cities, the three cities most at risk include 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.)¹

If you are evacuating during an emergency, it's easy to panic in your rush to protect the lives of your family. You could have only hours, even minutes, to react. That's why doing a little advance planning for just such a time can greatly minimize the odds of identity theft occurring, not to mention facilitating your ability to identify yourself to authorities, file an insurance claim or receive government aid. Although it would likely be the last thing you'd be thinking about, under the circumstances, opportunists consider natural disasters an ideal cover for identity theft crime. Our natural disaster checklist below will help you prevent identity theft from occurring when you least expect it.

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. These documents should include:

• Birth certificates
• Driver's licenses
• Social Security cards (SSNs) and statements
• Marriage certificates
• Adoption paperwork
• Death certificates
• Wills
• Brief medical histories, including current prescriptions and dosage amounts
• Health insurance or Medicare ID cards
• Bank, credit card and brokerage account numbers
• Insurance paperwork (home, health and auto)
• Lease/mortgage paperwork
• Past tax returns
• Utility bills
• Computer and ATM passwords
• Motor vehicle VIN numbers
• Photocopies of the content of your wallets
• Passports

(According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, thieves have been known to steal items from cars parked in driveways while the owners are preparing to evacuate, so don't put these papers in your car until you're ready to leave.)

2. Identify who in your family will be responsible for grabbing the safe or bag of documents 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 that 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 could prevent you from returning to your home while looters help themselves to old paperwork you've accumulated.

After a natural disaster

1. If you stay at a shelter, don't let these documents out of your sight. Guard them even if you're staying with friends. (In most cases, the identity thief knows the victim.) Linda Foley, founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center, advises pinning the bag containing these records inside your clothing.

2. 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 SSNs when you have not initiated the call. Don't respond to solicitations for donations from supposed relief groups unless you initiated the contact.

"Unfortunately, identity thieves are everywhere, and they look just like you and me," said Foley. "They may live in your neighborhood and choose to remain behind when others evacuate. They'll know which homes are empty."

3. 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're not familiar with.

No stranger to "emergency" situations, Foley recounted her own experience living through the Watts racial riots of Los Angeles in 1965.

"My grandfather's hardware store was in Charcoal Alley (a one-mile stretch of city road that was so named after widespread burning and destruction). We had loyal customers and loyal salespeople who took turns standing in front of the store to protect it. Ours was the only store that wasn't looted. Unfortunately, disaster brings out the best in people, but it also brings out the worst," Foley added.

Footnote

¹ "Natural Disaster Risk, 2008 Rankings, Sustainlane.com