Holy crap!

So I get home today and notice that there are 3 messages on the answering machine. Three messages on the land line is really not normal. I listen right away… The first message was a junk solicitor. Bah. Delete. The next message made me panic. “This is a message from [Bank Security] for Daniel. It is very important that you call us back regarding unusual activity on your credit card” Meaning my ATM CARD!! the next message was worse, “Early Warning Department for [Credit Card Co.]...”

I was trembling as I dialed the phone. I called the credit card company first, as that is a card I haven’t used in over a year. It has a zero balance. Luckily it still does. Apparently someone tried to use it for a plane ticket. On Air Canada. Weird. They are closing the card and issuing me a new one. I wanted to close it, but he put me on hold. I couldn’t wait and hung up. I had another call to make.

My ATM was used in 3 transactions that weren’t me. All were declined. I don’t know how they figured it out. But luckily they did and the transactions were declined at POS.

I am soooo lucky. This could have been a mess. I cannot figure out how they got my info. My ATM is with me all the time. It had to be a card reader somewhere. The credit card was one that I payed off and shredded a year ago. I have NO idea how someone could come up with that one. Oddly, the card that I use for all my online transactions is so far untouched. I feel really super paranoid tho. I will be watching things more closely now. Interesting that the plane ticket purchase was for Air Canada tho. When I spoke to my mom she mentioned that there has been a rash of Canadian credit fraud out her way in Florida. Coincidence?

Anyhoo. I have no access to my cash so my man is gonna buy me dinner. Later!

tagged: canada victim atm bank credit fraud

So it was a long day at work, and I was tired. Even I was surprised when I stopped my car to let a woman pull out of a poorly placed driveway. It was one of those so close to the traffic signal that she could have been there all day! Eh, I could use the good karma. On the way home I had to stop at the bank. In the parking lot there was a pregnant woman with a stroller waiting to cross. I stopped for her too. At this point I was close to home and in a much better mood. I parked the car and trotted over to the ATM.

As I approached I saw that there was a cute guy in mid transaction. I went to the side to fetch an envelope. Gah! The bin was empty!! This is one of those satellite ATM machines with no attached bank to run into for an envelope. I tried to look around the young man to see if there was a bin on the side. He noticed me and asked if I was looking for on envelope. I said I was, cause you know… that IS was I was looking for. I was a caught off guard that he even spoke. In my experience the ATM is kinda like an elevator; people keep quiet. He opened the lid on the bin there and we both saw it was empty. Then he totally surprised me.

“I have an extra one in my car, lemmee just finish this…”

Can you even believe it? I was so happy! He totally saved me a trip across town to the main branch. I was stoked! My good karma paid off!!

tagged: traffic atm karma cute guy