Got a call from the fraud watchers at my bank the other night, quizzing me about recent charges on my account. As she read off some of the charges I immediately realized there were two for major stores in Gilbert, Arizona, about 162 miles away, at about the same time I was in a movie in Yuma. Obviously the watchers had picked up that I probably wasn't in two places at the same time and questioned the items. I worked with the bank to protest the charges and also to turn in my old credit/debit card for a new one. I asked how someone could purchase something without having the actual card in their possession. The answer was that criminals like this only need your account number which they will use to make a new credit card with their name on it. The use of mine, of course, was limited. You can only steal so much before you're discovered. Turns out the real losers in such a case are the stores. The bank will get my money back, the thieves will keep their merchandise and the two stores will be out over $300. The incident was a wakeup call for the need to regularly check accounts for unauthorized use. It makes you a little paranoid. Now I will not use my card in any situation in which the card leaves my sight, as at a restaurant.
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