September 1, 2011
The first time I got my bank account hacked I thought I was going to vomit when I was on the phone with the bank. I wish I had paid closer attention to my bank statements and the signs and clues that I should I have noticed as they happened. It happened a number of years ago when my children were still young and I was not paying super close attention to things....like when my debit card kept getting declined over and over again at different stores and restaurants. In fact the time that I recall it happening when I was forced to call the bank was when I was purchasing decorations for the trade show in Atlanta.
Small Children + New Business = Very Stressed-Out Mommy
Finally after months of suspicious behavior I had a store refuse to sell me something until they contacted my bank. I of course was running late, had two whining children with me and started to freak out at the store. Apparently when a card gets declined after trying over and over you need to call the bank, not just run it as a credit card....only then did we find the problem. It seemed that at some suspect website where I ordered a super cute Curious George t-shirt for my daughter's birthday some ass.....er person got my credit card information and had been going to a Gas-n-sip in Florida once a week spending less than $70.00.....so it did not raise a red flag.
Now, back to the me vomiting while on the phone with the bank - the bank at least refunded everything we had lost and started to keep an eye on my account. Which, would come in handy since it happened a few more times:
Hip Hop Attorney livin' in Compton Beetoches
Yes, you read that right, someone got my social security card number and had filed tax returns. The best part was I was listed as an attorney (who knew right? ). I um, was pretty busy too making all of $80,000.00, I was living in Compton and I worked for Hip Hop Attorney....yes, that was name of the company. I also kept trying to open up some credit at all the IKEA's in Southern California. I had filed a tax return with H&R Block and they are the ones who figured out that me living in Foster City, yet working in Compton was ridiculous. I even got to fill out a whole Identity Theft form at the police department...exciting stuff and made for some interesting phone conversations with some creditors calling me....."um no I do not live in Compton. What? You called a 650 area code in Northern California. No I told you I am an artist....in Foster City! What? Hip Hop Attorney - I do not work there!"
I have Never Even Been to WalMart
Lastly, about a year ago I got a phone call at home from Wells Fargo (that be my bank) early in the morning on a Saturday. I sort of got freaked out and was getting all nervous, like the teacher called on me when she knew I had not read last nights homework. The woman on the other line was not cruel or mean she just kept asking me the same question over and over and I guess I was not speaking loud enough for her. The conversation went something like this;
"Hello is this Jamie Lentzner?"
"Yes, this is her."
"Mrs. Lentzner this is Wells Fargo Bank and we have some questions for you."
"Um....okay (in my head I am thinking I am in big trouble with my bank....and I need some coffee)."
"Ma'am (shoot....I hate when they say that) can you confirm where you were about two hours ago?"
"Um, asleep."
"Yes, but where where you specifically?"
"I was in my bed."
"No, where were you? What state were you in?"
"You called me at home. I was in my own bed. In CALIFORNIA. Am I in trouble? Or am I being punkd'?"
"No ma'am you are not being...what did you call it? Punk'd? Can you confirm that you were not in South Carolina at a WalMart purchasing $800.00 worth of diapers this morning?"
"Bahahahah! What? Diapers? In South Carolina? I have never even been to a WalMart. No, no I was not buying diapers this morning."
"So you are positive that the you did not purchase diapers?"
"Um, yes I am pretty confident."
"Ma'am is that your final answer (well maybe she did not say that, but something like that)?"
"Yes I am positive. Can I go get some coffee now? I need to go look for a place to stash my $800 worth of diapers in my home. Kidding! I am kidding!"
Are You Trying to Hack JPD
We just moved part of the business Wednesday and already we have some big excitement here. My husband informed me that someone or some thing tried to hack my companies website not once but seven times the other day.
I said tried, it if of course did not happen because we have a fantastic host and superb security system on our site. I am told that there were seven different IP addresses trying to crash our site and get credit card numbers.....but again, it did not happen. Why would my site be targeted I asked (If the hackers had read my blog they would know we are not a million dollar company)? There is of course no explanation.
At first I thought it was funny, then I was like, "Really? Really? Hackers?" I started to really stress about it and worry if it could happen again or if next time they would succeed. I stupidly started to get all worked up about it and freak out, but we made sure it did not happen. So, nothing bad happened to our site or to our customers. I will scratch that off my lisf of things to worry about this week. I hope I have good luck with that...the worrying part, I tend to stress about things that are not worth worrying about. I like to use this quote when that happens:
Worrying is like paying money on a debt that may never come due
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