NO TO ME!

Yikes. This is new to me. Never had this happen. It’s close to the end of the month and since I live on a very tight budget and am always slightly fearful of overdrawing my account, I check it regularly.

I was on line yesterday and everything was fine. This morning it felt like my heart dropped into my shoes. There was a pending charge on my account for $99.90 from a company called SOFTWARE-RETAIL BAKU, AK.

First of all, I haven’t bought any software in years. Second, there is no way I would charge anything that large to my account this late in the month. I’m watching pennies at this time. Besides, I have a Bazaar I have been preparing for and have had extra expenses this month. I’m very tight. Third, who are these people?

I immediately called my bank to find out what happened. Nathan told me to Google the name and see who they were. He had no address or phone number in the banks system. Thinking that was a good idea and wondering why I didn’t think of it myself, I did just that. I could not find the company but the name did come up — IN A FRAUD LIST.

I called the bank right back because some of the reports indicated it was difficult to get the money back once it went through. Thankfully I got immediate help and the charge was dropped from my account before it went through. You may have been through something like in the past, but I have not. I closed my credit card account and they will send me a new one. I only use that account, as a debit and never purchase anything over what is actually available. I’ve been stung before. So now I will get a new card.

While living in Oregon, I had several new cards because the banks ATM machine kept eating my card. If I didn’t grab the card immediately after competition of the transaction, it swallowed my card. I’m sure it was the fastest ATM machine in the west.

We read about fraud all the time and I tend to think it will not happen to me. Wrong! I do get plenty of emails informing me that I have won some incredibly large sum of money from a lottery in England, Ireland, Nigeria and other places, mostly African nations. While I am reading what I have won they have not actually sent me what is rightfully mine (they said it was mine). If they would send it, I would be right up there with Gates and Buffet as one of the worlds wealthiest men. After all, I do get these reports almost weekly.

But, alas, no money! So I sing right along with Tevya, “Would it spoil some eternal plan, Oh God, if I were a rich man?”