esrosedotblog

TWO PLACES/ONE TIME

I got a message from the American Express Fraud Alert yesterday. They had received two unusual purchases on my credit card amounting, in total to maybe $3000 dollars.

Macy's and Burberrys. In Las Vegas!

I called to let them know that I had not been in Vegas and I still had, in my hand, my credit card.

They said the charges were a swipe charge, meaning that the card had been put through a reader.

Someone somewhere got my number and had used it somehow.

I guess this shit happens all the time but it has never happened to me. I got very upset.

But they are good at settling you down and made it clear that they would not charge me the money and so on.

The charges are still on my account this morning but they say it takes 72 hours to clear them. I hope that is right.

I am getting a new card tomorrow and I will have to change the numbers on all the accounts where the old number is registered. Amazon, the rest. PayPal which I use a lot of times.

Unpleasant but not a big deal.

We also have a debit card where most of our money is stashed. So the debit part of it is not a problem. I can use that card until the AMEX comes along.

It makes me wonder why I am freaked out about it so much. It is a theft, not direct but personal. I worry about my credit "reputation" which is not at stake.

It is just unsettling. Period.

My mind wanders to what - ifs. What if they don't delete it from my bill do I have to pay when the bill comes and and and and and. I hate this kind of mind game. Involuntary.

I suppose most everyone goes through this kind of thing once in a while.

But I am not "everyone" and goddammit. And I don't want to be put through the traces like this. Sigh.

Labels: money