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Friday, September 08, 2006
in which we officially arrive in the twenty-first century
Last night, just as we were supposed to be dashing out the door to AWANA (for which we are perpetually late because they start the meeting fifteen minutes after T walks in the door needing his supper, and it's a half-hour drive) we got the kind of phone call nobody likes to get. The kind that is all, "dude, we noticed some suspicious activity in your credit card account. Did you spend $1600 at Apple Computer today?" And of course we didn't; we're PC people, not Mac people. (no granola or raw-silk scarves in our house either.) So that began a really fun phone conversation about all kinds of interesting things like: dude, the people bought flowers with our credit card. "Happy anniversary, honey! And they were free, too! Sorta! bonus!"
So now we're sincerely hoping that it was only that account that was compromised, and that this isn't the beginning of some identity-theft hell where we're trapped in a bad Sandra Bullock movie and people in black coats start trailing us and we try to check into hotels but we're already there. Or something. I never actually saw that movie (did anybody?). The good news is that we only had that one credit card account open, and it's actually closed now (duh), so it's not like they can do this with a bunch of other accounts. Which would, uh, not have been the case say a year ago. We're going to sign up for that credit monitoring thing where they notify you anytime anyone tries to open credit in your name, but anyone else who's been through anything similar who has advice about additional steps to take, please please feel free to lay it on us because we are woefully inexperienced as crime victims. Thank you.
Comments
That is just awful! Praying nothing more happens!!! is there any way to track the address of the person who used it?
Posted by: debi at September 8, 2006 11:39 AM
What Sandra Bullock movie is that? The Net?
Posted by: debi at September 8, 2006 01:55 PM
Wow, that must've come as a shock! I'm glad they caught it so quickly, though. I don't really know much about this stuff, either, but I'd say that chances are very slim that this will go any further, now that the account's been closed. Good luck!
Posted by: Michael at September 9, 2006 05:22 AM
Hi Rachel,
This happened to me too just before Christmas 2 years ago. Citibank was great and handled it all.
I had to notarize a statement for them, but that was it.
My phone call went, "um miss, have you been using your card to make any large purchases? No. We don't want to ruin your Christmas surprise, is anyone else in your home allowed to use your card?
No. Do you have your card in your possession. Yes.
Have you been to Gibraltar? ( Europe) No.
I am trying to teach my class of squirmy 6th graders, the day we get out for Christmas Holidays and we are late for the program, why are you calling? Someone purchased $2500 dollars worth of used CD's and then tried to purchase jewelry and several other items but the card was declined .....
Sheesh. I wanted to see the new jewelry and wondered who was shopping for me .......
turned out I had purchased something at a quilt shop online some time back, and they had written down the credit card number and info to charge me later for an item that wasn't there and were broken into and robbed a while later .......
lovely.
Posted by: Cami at September 9, 2006 11:14 AM
Ah crap, sweets I'm sorry about that. Jason and I have both had to go through that - only as you know it was full-fledged identity theft. Though, no men in black coats ;-) I love your new page by the way. I hope you're doing OK. Love you.
Posted by: Jenn at September 9, 2006 01:23 PM
Did you get it all taken care of?
Posted by: debi at September 9, 2006 10:08 PM
I like your new layout!
Posted by: twocatmommy at September 10, 2006 05:01 PM
