Friday, January 16, 2009

FRAUD!

I generally have a terrible attitude toward my banking affairs..... My bank drives me nuts, as they seem to leave messages for me at my aunt's house all the time. And this leads her to assume I am a moron, who never pays bills.
As well, because I travel so much, the fraud department for my credit card makes me crazy, as they try to reach me in Canada, to let me know that someone (ME!) is using my card outside Canada, when I am far, far away. The result while I was in Jamaica was that I got cut off, and would have been totally destitute except that my UK card still worked.
Anyway, I got another message from my bank to call the fraud department... I was on hold for ages, thoroughly annoyed, also I could have sworn I told them I was in UK at present, so obviously I'd be using my card outside Canada....grrr.
I spoke with the World's Smarmiest Man (call Guinness, as he was truly awful), and he asked if I'd used my card at a Target store in the States in the last couple days? Of course not! YIKES! Since I had that card here with me, Smarmy Man said obviously a criminal had counterfeited my card, and was trying to use it.
That card got blocked immediately, I will not be held responsible for the $80 purchase that went through (they already blocked a $1100 purchase, yay), I'll have to sign a fraud report when I get home, and I'll get a new card with new PIN.
The only real downside is that I'll have to go through all my boring, annoying bank mail when I get home. (But I'll write if the fraud report doesn't result in the $80 charge being reversed. Oh boy, there will be some shouting and jumping up and down if there is a problem....)

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