Welp. It finally happened to me. My credit card data was breached. And I have no idea how or when (though I assume mid to late December). To say I am careful is an understatement. {{{(>_<)}}} How careful? When I got the text from my card company that there was a fraud alert, I checked their sit to make sure the number it came from was actually from the card company before I clicked on anything. It was.
The charge? $48.96 at Domino’s (this one was declined by the company, so I have no record of where it was attempted). At the time of the charge, I was at a game night with friends – and no, we weren’t eating pizza. So I replied that it was not me, and they auto-replied with a number to call. They asked about a few more charges – and no, I was not in four OTHER states (Brooklyn, NY; Las Vegas, NV; Arlington, TX; Margate, FL – that last one I’ve never even heard of) simultaneously (7:54, 8:03, 8:06, 8:11) spending a total of $172.55 in trashy pizza. (I mean no offense by that term – there is a time and place for such pizza. But if I’m spending this much, it’s going to be for GOOD pizza. Though even then, I’ve never spent forty bucks on a single trip to a Lou Malnati’s…)
When I got home, I went online and found three more charges from earlier in the week that were not flagged totaling $351.73, though one of the charges ($101.75) was returned a few days later (they have a crisis of conscience?).
Clearly, my number was posted on a few sites. And while I can understand someone who is in crisis and desperate using a found number to try and get themselves out of a bad situation, that is not what is happening here. And ever since I got that alert, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around why someone does this – both steals the card info and then those who use it. I mean – I know why. It’s easy. Lazy. Probably a bit of a thrill.
Rather, I mean – how do they shut out that voice about what they are doing to the person (people – let’s face it, there were likely a ton of other numbers listed with mine, and once the first decline came through, they moved on to the next) on the other side? Everything else going on in the world feels so…very big. And when that happens, small things tend to feel bigger than they really are.
So, basically, a friendly reminder to be careful. Never click on a link you don’t know and can’t verify. Think about where you are using your card online (yes, breaches can come from even secure places – but vigilance is never a bad thing). And maybe keep an eye on your account even if you feel like you are doing everything else right.
Ami Maxine 