So I am in Miami (see previous post, I am not done writing it up at this point in time...) and I kept getting called by this weird number from Delaware (302 area code). As a rule, I do not answer my phone when strange numbers call me. In fact, I don't usually answer my phone at all. I use it to call people... not to be called. After the third call, I answered... and it was a recorded message from Bank of America. Apparently, they wanted to check some questionable charges that were on my credit card. I couldn't make sense of the charges so I hung up, waiting to deal with it when I get back to civilisation again and in the peace of my home.
My blackberry has been on the fritz of late as well. No data requests were coming in for whatever reason. This was, I have to say, quite frustrating. And freeing as well since I was away from work and no emails came through. Of course my gmail stuff gets forwarded too... and it was annoying that I couldn't get them (flight delay notices for example), nor could I chat with anyone on google talk or use google maps (I do have my GPS unit with me, but google maps is remarkably awesome to use)... anyway, I figured out how to correct the problem. Google talk seems to have been stuck on trying to sign onto the network and no amount of anything I did could coax it out of that mode. So I did the only thing I could think of... I deleted it. Viola, my emails start flooding in, the browser works again... life is good once again! So then I start to backup my berry... and it has been trying to do so for a couple of hours now with no luck.
I sorted that out... then I decided to figure out how to use the berry as a modem for my laptop (I mean, I pay for data and I don't want to pay T-mobile to surf at Starbucks via their hotspot nonsense...), so I searched and found this link that explains it in great detail for my Pearl on my T-mobile network. Wohoo eh?
While the berry was trying to backup, I fired up Skype and called the Bank of America to see what was going on with my credit card. I was surprised that I got to speak to a person right away... and that he was willing to help. He took down the details of my card and verified some personal information. Then he told me that my card may have been compromised and wanted to know about certain charges. The first one was about $20 and change... from a place I never heard of... and it was in, of all places, France! I haven't been there nor have I bought anything from France... so of course that was some fraudster trying to get my banking info. How, I have no idea. He said that he is not sure what happened either but that the fraud division will be looking into it. He said that the number was keyed in, not swiped...
The other two transactions he mentioned... were mine though one threw him for a loop. It was at Au Bon Pain and he thought it was another French invention... that I was being defrauded at. Except those were bagels I bought for the office. And the third was Cake Love... also in DC. So, those two stand, the real French one gets struck off the record I hope and if all goes well, I will have something in the mail. Maybe all credit card companies should just send you new cards every X months or something... but then again, that might lead to more fraud. At any rate, kudos to Bank of America for watching and notifying me... even if it is a bit creepy to know someone or something is watching my spending habits.
My blackberry has been on the fritz of late as well. No data requests were coming in for whatever reason. This was, I have to say, quite frustrating. And freeing as well since I was away from work and no emails came through. Of course my gmail stuff gets forwarded too... and it was annoying that I couldn't get them (flight delay notices for example), nor could I chat with anyone on google talk or use google maps (I do have my GPS unit with me, but google maps is remarkably awesome to use)... anyway, I figured out how to correct the problem. Google talk seems to have been stuck on trying to sign onto the network and no amount of anything I did could coax it out of that mode. So I did the only thing I could think of... I deleted it. Viola, my emails start flooding in, the browser works again... life is good once again! So then I start to backup my berry... and it has been trying to do so for a couple of hours now with no luck.
I sorted that out... then I decided to figure out how to use the berry as a modem for my laptop (I mean, I pay for data and I don't want to pay T-mobile to surf at Starbucks via their hotspot nonsense...), so I searched and found this link that explains it in great detail for my Pearl on my T-mobile network. Wohoo eh?
While the berry was trying to backup, I fired up Skype and called the Bank of America to see what was going on with my credit card. I was surprised that I got to speak to a person right away... and that he was willing to help. He took down the details of my card and verified some personal information. Then he told me that my card may have been compromised and wanted to know about certain charges. The first one was about $20 and change... from a place I never heard of... and it was in, of all places, France! I haven't been there nor have I bought anything from France... so of course that was some fraudster trying to get my banking info. How, I have no idea. He said that he is not sure what happened either but that the fraud division will be looking into it. He said that the number was keyed in, not swiped...
The other two transactions he mentioned... were mine though one threw him for a loop. It was at Au Bon Pain and he thought it was another French invention... that I was being defrauded at. Except those were bagels I bought for the office. And the third was Cake Love... also in DC. So, those two stand, the real French one gets struck off the record I hope and if all goes well, I will have something in the mail. Maybe all credit card companies should just send you new cards every X months or something... but then again, that might lead to more fraud. At any rate, kudos to Bank of America for watching and notifying me... even if it is a bit creepy to know someone or something is watching my spending habits.
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