I’m a statistic
My credit card got hacked and someone tried to use it for a purchase of $1.01 from Tires X.
Fortunately, for some reason I still don’t understand, the computers at the bank saw this transaction and since it wasn’t from Publix, Wal-Mart, or X-Mart (the only stores I frequent) they put a flag on my card.
So I’m in training (learning some SharePoint 2007) and go to lunch with one of my co-workers. Swipe the card and declined. What!? I say, confused and concerned as the line at Atlanta Bread Company gets very quiet. (I also go to this store, and now I’m being looked down upon like… like… I’m one of those people! Argh! I almost shunned myself at that moment.)
But I pulled out my Black American Express and everyone immediately showed respect. (Don’t tell anyone but it’s a regular Amx card I just painted it black to impress the ladies.)
Back at training I go online and check my bank account - BLING! - all my money is there. Nothing missing. Hmmm… this is weird.
Later that day, I’m at Lowes (I sometimes shop here also.) and this really cute women is ringing me up and we’re chatting and the banter is flowing so I swipe my card to pay when suddenly _DENIED!
She looks at me like I have a huge herpies zit on my lip. (It was a razor cut!) But the damage is done, I’m a dead beat.
I call the bank. They answer in two rings, no voice system. Real person on the phone. Awesome!
Escalate to the Super Manager and they say the card was flagged for suspicious charges. We’re cancelling your current card and sending you a new one.
Great. So why didn’t you also send me an email telling me the card was going to be declined and I needed to call before I lost social points among my co-workers and complete strangers in town? Huh? Why?
That would have been nice but they didn’t. Still I am happy they put the jinx on the card as soon as a charge for Seattle showed up without warning. That was cool. I hope they catch the criminals and shot them in the head. No warning. Bam! Emeril has spoken.
In the mean time this gives me an opportunity to flash my black plastic. Wait… wouldn’t that attract identify thieves even more?