Include These Steps in Your Storm Prep

As a Floridian, it’s likely you have a Hurricane preparation plan ready to go in the event a storm is threatening the area you live in. Each year, between June and November, all of us in Florida have to be ready to put storm prep into motion at any given moment, but are you including steps to protect your ID and your confidential information? If not, read on to learn what you need to do to ensure you don’t become the victim of ID theft when a hurricane hits.

What to do With Personal Documents

Personal documents like birth certificates, marriage and divorce paperwork, social security cards, passports, wills and estate paperwork, insurance policies and other similar items can put you at risk for fraud and ID theft–especially during and after a hurricane. Take these steps to ensure you are protected:

• Make Digital Copies of Important Documents

Although you need to keep the originals of many important documents, it’s a good idea to make digital copies and store them on an external hard drive or thumb drive. Put the drive in a safe place that cannot be exposed to water or fire.

• Store Originals in a Safe and Dry Location

Once you’ve made digital copies, put the originals in an airtight and waterproof container and store the container in a location that is safe from any possible flooding or rising water.

• Make a list of all Documents

It’s also a good idea to make a list of all of the documents– that way you can reference the list after a storm to ensure you have accounted for everything.

• Destroy Old or Unneeded Documents

When a storm is threatening, it’s recommended that you shred all old and outdated documents. Tax returns that are years old, bank and credit card statements and other paperwork that is no longer needed can put you in danger of fraud and ID theft. If you feel that you may need any of these types of documents at a later date, make digital copies and then shred the originals. Sadly, unscrupulous thieves see a natural disaster like a hurricane as an opportune time to take advantage and documents that contain just the smallest bit of personal information can put you at risk.

All Points Mobile Shredding, located in Stuart, Florida, can help you prepare for hurricane season by providing onsite mobile shredding and destruction. Our state-of-the-art shredding trucks come directly to you at your home or office and perform the shred onsite. This gives you the opportunity to witness the entire process and because we provide a certificate of destruction, you have the peace of mind that your items have been permanently destroyed. Give us a call today or complete the form on this page to get a quick quote.