theft

Last week my checking account was "compromised." This basically means that someone stole my debit card number and stared buying all kinds of things via the internet. They spent money in Arizona, in Indiana, Florida, Louisiana, etc.

Fortunately my bank caught on pretty quickly since I rarely make large internet transactions. They called me and we put a 'stop' on my card. But this morning I've got to start the tedious process of disputing the charges that this thief made. I've got to sort out my transactions from his so we can put my balance back in the black. What a pain.

The first day that it happened I racked my brain to figure out who or how could have done this to me. Was it the gas station attendant who had to run my card through two times and in the process copied down the number? Was it an internet hacker? Has someone infiltrated my home computer? Did I forgot to shred some bank statements? I was going crazy running different scenarios through my mind.

Now I'm feeling rather matter-of-fact about it. I've talked with the bank, worked through the various 'procedures,' and I'm resigned to the inconvenience of the theft. But a part of me is also frustrated because I don't want this to happen again and yet I have no idea how to prevent it.