Saturday, October 6, 2007

Um, ... no.

Yesterday, a pre-recorded phone call from the people at Citibank fraud alerts.  They'd like me to call back about suspicious charges.

(Of course, the first thing I do is verify that the phone number is legit -- as this strikes me as an amusing way to get someone's account information.  But the number is kosher, so I give 'em a call.)

Did I make a $768.00 charge to QVC?

QVC?  $768?  I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that.  I mean, I've been toying with the idea of buying something from QVC (one of them Fuller brushes that cleans out the lint trap in your dryer), but I'm pretty darned sure that (a) I didn't buy it and (b) it wasn't no $768.

They cancelled the card.  I'll get a new one in ten days.

Today I called them up again to see if I could maybe put a rush on the new card.  I can't.  But while I was on the line with them, we went into a little more detail on which charges I did and did not make.

Apple iTunes store?

No.

eBay?

No.

PayPal?

Maybe.  How much?  A small charge authorizing a new account.

Oh hell no.

My most recent legitimate charge appears to be to a political campaign.  (A friend asked, in lieu of birthday presents, that we donate to the campaign of the candidate of her choice.  As I have nothing against said candidate, and might even throw my vote in that direction, I made a small contribution.)  In any event, I'd be extremely surprised if people running for POTUS didn't have satisfactory encryption on their websites.

So, now I am without internet credit card (annoying as their are two internet purchases I want to immediately make) and will eventually have to find myself a notary so's I can swear or affirm with all due solemnity that these charges SO aren't mine.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Know you're pain.  Somehow, someway, some "brain" manages to swipe my husband's card info every 3-6 mos.  He uses his card very little on the internet.  

I've also gone through a pain of a week in getting spoof e-mails via eBay.  Someone stole my screen name and was sendiing all kind of inquires to auto dealers.  I think/hope/pray that with the steps I took, that info is now safe...and I hope e-Bay finds the dopes, but I shan't hold my breath.

Anonymous said...

"will eventually have to find myself a notary so's I can swear or affirm with all due solemnity that these charges SO aren't mine."

Surely someone in your office is a Notary?

I feel your pain. Think of it as a modern-day pick-pocketing...