I Got Zapped - You Could Too, So Keep Watch!

Some weeks, things just go sideways. This has been one of them.

I already wrote about the big hassle with my new computer. I thought I had it all fixed on Saturday night. Then I couldn't hook up to the Internet until I got to a store and bought another cable... my moving them around combined with the teeth marks my darling cat had left caused the cable to my router to fail.

Yesterday I got the new cable and last night I hooked it up - and all seemed to be well - until the darn thing did a bunch of automatic Windows updates this morning. And that was the end of OK. After spending most of the day either on the telephone trying to get an answer from some kind of tech support, I had finally had enough. It is now boxed up and ready for pick-up. They're sending a replacement next week.

I could start a rant here about computer technicians in India - they ARE trying to be pleasant, but trying to figure out what they're saying gives me a headache. The one from HP who couldn't fix it Saturday has called me a couple of times now and left a message. And there's NO WAY that I can figure out what he's saying when he leaves a call back number.

The U.S. has about 20% unemployment, and we customers are trying to deal with computer techs in India. What's wrong with that picture?

I could also rant because Microsoft doesn't seem to have any live people to help with questions. But that's another subject.

Anyway... right in the middle of all that...

Before I left for town to shop yesterday, I checked my Pay Pal balance. (Most of my clients pay me via Pay Pal, so for me that's like checking the balance in a checkbook.)

Much to my surprise, there was a $60 debit from yesterday morning that definitely didn't belong to me.

It was a "signature purchase" - in Belgium!

The customer service person at Pay Pal got it removed. Then I canceled my debit card - which is a definite inconvenience - but at least the crooks didn't get away with it. Better yet, I stopped them before they cleaned out my account. But if I hadn't noticed immediately, it would probably have been at zero.

How can this happen?

I've written about this kind of theft many times in my work for Credit Score Quick. These thieves have dozens of ways to steal credit and debit card numbers, and they just keep thinking of more. In my case, it was probably "random checking" combined with "shaving."

They use a computer program to learn what numbers are real, then they do the painstaking work. Thieves steal gift cards and "shave" the numbers off. Then they shave the numbers off a master card or Visa, and replace them with the number of a valid debit or credit card.

Can you imagine having the patience to do that? I can't. But, as long as they don't get caught quickly, the payoff is probably worth the hours involved.

The bottom line: Check your debit cards regularly. A thief can clean out your account within hours.

 

marte@copybymarte.com

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