Californians are well aware of the fact that by living in California, they are choosing to live with earthquakes. This is an easy commitment to make with how infrequently large quakes happen. However, once a decent sized earthquake rumbles through, people begin to second guess their decision.
This is what is happening for many Californians, especially Southern Californians, after the Fourth of July earthquake in Ridgecrest. After that shaking, and the continual shaking that has been hitting the area since, many people are on edge. Everyone is anxious that an even bigger earthquake will strike and cause a whole lot of destruction.
While most people are stressing over the looming threat of another earthquake, scammers are busy scheming.
How the Scam Works
When it comes to conning people, scammers love to play off of people’s emotions. One of the favorite emotions that scammers love to manipulate in victims is fear. When people are scared, they are more likely to panic and make bad decisions. Scammers use this to take advantage of their victims.
With all of the earthquake hysteria right now, scammers are taking advantage of it. In Orange County, officials are warning of scammers who are calling houses, claiming to be officials of some sort, and warning of a major earthquake coming. The scammer attempts to convince the resident to get out of their house.
In some instances, this seems to be a prank, in others it seems to be an attempt at burglary. The scammers are trying to get the house empty so they can get inside and steal some valuables.
Officials warn that if a person receives a call like this, they should ignore it and report the incident and phone number to the authorities.
How Emergency Warnings Are Issued
When it comes to officials warning the general populace about disasters, there are only certain methods they use. Those methods include:
• Wireless emergency alerts.
• Through designated apps.
• Through county or city websites.
Government agencies never contact individuals directly, especially not in the event that an earthquake has struck.
It is also important to remember that there is currently no accurate way to predict when an earthquake will strike. All current methods of warning only activate once an earthquake strikes can only warn of incoming shaking.
Stay Calm and Be Prepared
With the recent earthquakes striking Ridgecrest, everyone is on edge in California. However, that is no reason to let yourself get scammed. Now, more than ever, it is important for everyone to keep a level head and not give into panic. Staying calm can help a person make good decisions and avoid getting scammed.
As far as the earthquakes go, the best a person can do is be prepared. This means having enough food and water stored away to last every person in the house for three days. Plus there should be medical supplies, pet food if the person owns pets, and activities to keep kids entertained and busy. For a more complete list of what should be in an emergency kit, click here.
What is the craziest scam someone has ever tried to pull on you?