During calamities, panicking is frequent and not unusual. No matter how many times you orient people to stay calm during these events, there is always a chance that they wont keep cool. Who would be in times of disaster and calamities? Of course, it is great if one has been able to master oneself and control oneself in these unlikely times. This is one purpose why communities hold emergency drills, to help people have a feel of what might happen during a disaster. However, maybe because subconsciously, people know that it is only a drill, they do not really feel the urge to be calm, prepared, and alert. When the real thing happens, they still end up panicking.
This is one of the reasons why there are criminals take the chance to outsmart people during calamities. They know that people tend to panic when faced with matter of life and death situations. One way of cheating the innocent victims effectively is via a phone call. Once a news hit the television, internet, or the radio, expect these criminals calling you and trying to confuse you. Identity theft becomes rampant as well as stealing money from you via wire transfer and using your credit card.
Think of as many reasons and excuses how these criminals will rattle you off until they got something valuable from you. One solid excuse they can give during a calamity is by introducing themselves as part of the rescue team. The caller might ask personal data from you as part of their "protocol" of making sure that all names are recorded and monitored to which evacuation area to be assigned, or for medical assistance purposes, or any other reason you will not suspect to be invalid during emergencies. Since you are in a panic mode, how easy it is for them to cheat you out.
You can outsmart these criminals by being well-prepared. For these times, make sure you already have the phone numbers of all the significant people, agencies, and groups that you believe will be taking actions during a disaster. When you got their numbers already, it will be easier for you to take hold of yourself when you get a call from unknown persons. These calls you need to verify. Yes, despite the calamity, verify. It is still a crucial act or you might end up going into a more turbulent time when your identity got stolen or your money is taken away from you. Never allow that to happen by staying alert and calm.
The fight for phone spams never ends. Especially during events when people are normally confused and in doubt, the spammers really come in. It is very important that you keep yourself informed. Stay connected to the community agencies that are in charge of situations like these ones so that you will always be prepared.
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