The Undiscovered Country

The Evils of Technology

Technology, specifically the internet, is a game. There are those who use it for fun, others for business. Then there are the predators, those who seek to steal something from you, whether it be buying an item from ebay or absconding with your credit card number.

It's a game in that we (the good people) need to constantly be aware of these predators and take steps to protect ourselves and our information.

I had to relearn that lesson this week.

I went to Walmart the other day, and my credit card was denied. Of course, the cashier didn't know why. Neither did I, because I wasn't even close to my limit.

The first thing I did when I got home was check my account online.

There staring at me were three charges adding up to almost $400 that were not mine.

EEEK!

I immediately called up my credit card company, and within 10 minutes, they canceled the charges and closed that account so the theif couldn't charge anymore.

I love my credit card company (Bank of America in case you're interested). In fact, one of their selling points is a proactive approach to fraudulent charges. They met that pitch and then some.

Within a few days I will receive a new card. They will also send me an affidavit to sign and notarize that those charges were not mine, and I would assist in any way possible during the investigation.

Whew! One less thing to think about.

Although I do need to call them again. They removed a charge that was mine, so they need to put it back. Better they went too far than not far enough, I say.

The attack on my financial wellbeing didn't end there. I received an email from paypal saying there was a problem with my account. The graphics were perfect when compared to other emails I've received from them, so I clicked on it, going so far as entering my username and password.

Big mistake!

I realized as soon as I hit [Submit], I made a serious boo-boo.

I went to paypal and forwarded said email to their spoof address. Within minutes they verified it was indeed a phishing email. Before I received the confirmation, I not only changed my password, but my default email address as well.

In the end, I escaped two internet predators by the skin of my teeth (when did teeth ever have skin?)

From now on I will be extra careful with how I use the internet - and email.