Credit Card

Well, last night I was at my brother's house. During a lull in the group conversation I went over to computer to check my email (something I must admit that I do obsessively).

Anyway, I was quite surprised when I saw the emails from the Apple iTunes store informing me that I'd just spent almost 200 hundred dollars on products for the iPad, various books, and video games.

I couldn't tell at first if this was a phisch scam so I called my credit card and asked if they had received claims for these items. The nice man with the thick accent said that they had pre-approved the transactions in question. I told him they weren't my transactions. He said he was sorry but that he couldn't do anything until the transactions were paid.

I said "so let me get this straight, I'm telling you right now that someone is using my credit card illegally. That credit card hasn't been billed yet, but it will be billed shortly. And what you want me to do is wait for you to pay for this illegal transaction before I can do anything?"

He said "yes."

I was amazed. I couldn't let the idea go: "So, although we both know that something illegal is about to happen, and that someone is going to be spending money on my credit card illegally, I have to sit back passively while he commits credit card fraud? You just gave me some spiel about how much you care about my security...but that security only works after the fact? Your security is limited to what has happened...not what will happen?

He said "sort of, yes."

At this point I was just shocked (and to be fair it was 3 in the morning so I wasn't feeling all that patient).

I said "is there anything at all I can do? What happens if I cancel my credit card, or what happens if you assign me a new number?

He said that if he gave me a new number that the posted transactions wouldn't go through. He also said that he could get me a new card in 24 hours.

Now I'm wondering why he didn't say that in the first place. So there was something I could do, I could change my card and indirectly stop the payment. My only fear was that this would ding my credit. He said it wouldn't. So, I told him to do that immediately (it's the only thing that makes sense to do).

I logged onto my iTunes account and under "problems" for each transaction I informed Apple that the problem was that that transaction was credit card fraud. I deactivated every computer iTunes was linked to, I removed my credit card information from online (in case all they had was my iTunes info), and I removed all the downloads (the downloads this guy had purchased illegally hadn't downloaded yet).

(what's funny is I received emails from Apple this morning and I realized they hadn't even read my complaints. They just responded saying "we're sorry your programs haven't downloaded correctly. However, you can still log onto iTunes and download them"....sorta made me angry that they hadn't even read my complaint). Oh well.

So, hopefully he didn't get anything. If he wants to use the credit card he can't, if he wants to download what he bought illegally he can't. And if he wants to buy something new he can't (not sure why the thief is a "he").

I'm just grateful that I was checking my email at such an odd time. If I hadn't the downloads might have gone through. Luckily I was able to start working to fix things before too much damage was done.

Now I just need to talk things through with Apple. As I write this I'm waiting on hold (and have been for the past 15 minutes).

What I want to know is "why did this happened now?" Did I do something to make the universe angry? ....I mean, a car accident and credit card fraud in less than a week's time? Really?

Oh, I know why I'm in such trouble!!!

It all make sense now.

It's 'cause of last Friday the thirteenth ...when I was riding my mirror breaking machine under ladders while spilling salt shakers on Indian burial ground....I knew at the time that that was a bad idea.

Well, that's that. Hopefully things will pick up soon.

Regardless of all the frustrations it is good to be home. I spent yesterday with both my brothers. We played guitar, talked, played Foosball, ate Tommy Burgers. All in all, a good day. I'm sure all this other stuff will eventually pass over.

Hope you're all doing well.