Skip to main content

Mysteries solved!

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strange is one way to put it

Life has been a bit strange of late. I've gone from being incredibly happy to depressingly sad. I don't quite have the answers to why that is and I am not really sure I care to find out. I almost feel like its easier to give up than try and work towards some worthwhile conclusion to the problem. I love going on vacation. I hate coming back from there. Generally, when I get back from vacation, I go through a period of adjustment that starts with the lack of sleep (because I am usually not in the same time zone as my vacation destination was), self-pity and loathing at the state I left my place in, in my hurry to get out of here. It progresses to outright hatred of having to go back to work and dealing with the routine in general. I resolve to find better things to do in life, learn more, improve myself, lose weight etc etc. And eventually, I end up no further than where I was, where I've been for over 2 years. I can find any number of reasons and excuses to make this someone...
2 comments
Read more

New computer

I am getting a new computer after 5 years. Oddly, I seem to be reversing trends in terms of pricing. My new computer will actually cost me more than my previous one. What am I going to do with the new one? Same sort as stuff as with the current one. I am going to install Linux on it and use it as my desktop. I will likely convert my current machine to a server to host files and who knows what else. So, what does it have? It has an Intel Dual Core processors clocked at 2.8Ghz, a really cool ASUS motherboard, an NCQ enabled Seagate hard drive, 2GB of DDR2 RAM running at 533Mhz, an LG 16x DVD burner, a 6600 LE MSI Video card (with DVI and TVO), one of those fancy floppy disks with multiple memory card readers and the kicker, a funky kick-ass case that looks like a critter from some game. It is called the NZXT Nemesis Elite and I have stolen a pic from a site and put it here: The eye of this case can be modified to change colours (wow!). I should get it next Saturday. My biggest surprise s...
3 comments
Read more

The good, bad and where-the-heck-have-you-been fall edition

I've neglected my blog this summer. I'm sorry to whoever still reads it. Now that fall is here, I'll have more time to devote to it, I think. So, what the heck did I do this summer? In a word, lots! I did a fair bit of running, hiking, biking, swimming this year. I turned vegetarian. Well, a relapsing vegetarian. I attended a wedding, a lamb roast, bought furniture, went back to school, learned to cook new things. I watched a royal wedding, a state funeral and a royal tour of our fine land. I also watched as our hockey team went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals and watched in horror as some of our citizenry decided to set fire to parts of our city. School's back and I'm excited by it. I've also got back to reading. I missed my books. I have no idea why I stopped... but somewhere along the way, I forgot how peaceful it is to sit in a quiet corner somewhere and lose touch with the outside world and step into an imaginary (sometimes brutal) world whe...
Post a Comment
Read more