This is not a political diary but I wanted to warn people about what just happened to me. Most of you are too smart to have this happen to them, but I thought I was being careful.
Anyway, on Monday of this week I discovered that my whole checking account was emptied by someone using my cash card Visa number (I still have my card) over the weekend. These purchases were made in Kentucky at BP Oil ($823), Chevron ($556), Marathon Oil ($225), and Shell Oil ($142).
That's alot of gas.
Since I still have my card and my checkbook, we believe my card was swiped at a convenience store I recently visited which is under new management. The cash machine did not work and he offered to get my cash for me. He took my card behind the desk, did a regular charge, and gave me my cash and card back. But I did not see what he was doing behind the desk nor did I look. Did not think about something like this I have to admit.
They did not have my pin number, nor the expiration date on the card (we think unless that can be swiped too). how did they make these purchases? And why only oil companies? Incidentally, the convenience store sold Marathon gas.
They will investigate but since I cannot be in Minnesota getting cash from the machines as I did over the weekend, and in Kentucky doing huge gas purchases, they will find it is fraud.
And then all my money can be returned. But for now my checking account is frozen so I guess I will doing alot of computer reading for the next 3-4 weeks.
I just wanted to re-warn people about the dangers that lurk.
P.S. The only time I have used that same card on the internet was to make one purchase last fall and to donate to campaigns. Any possibility there? doubt it but possible I suppose.
