A Hard Lesson Learned

I wasn't long out of bed this morning - Sunday - when the phone rang about 9 am.  It was an automated message from WaMu's Credit Fraud system, verifying if I'd made a particular transaction on my debit card this morning.   The answer was no, so I was hooked up to a live person.  After quite a bit of information was exchanged, she verified that a company in Malta had attempted to use my debit card number for a $105 charge.  WaMu shut down my card before that charge could go thru.  

So, I'm relieved that the fraud was stopped, but then learned that a new debit card will take 7-10 business days - the "business" word is the critical part here - to get to me, in other words, up to two weeks.   Going to a bank, during bank hours, and working with a teller to get cash & make deposits will be a harkening back to the old pre-ATM days.  Still, a small price of inconvenience to pay to stop the potential for fraud.  Fortunately, since I needed cash today when the banks are closed, my business account with a debit card came in very handy.

Now, the question begs to be asked - how the hell did this company get my debit card number?  WaMu said they couldn't discuss it with me for security reasons, but advised I not use my debit card for any online transactions.  Great - twice last week - for the first time in a long time - I broke down and used my debit card instead of my credit card for two different $20 online purchases - from known American companies.   Of course, I don't know if that's how they got it, but, as my sage daughter has advised me, never use your debit card online.

Hard lesson learned.  Even a little value purchase put me at risk.  And here I thought it always happened to somebody else.