We’re on high alert ‘round these parts today.
On Monday I got a call from Blooming*dale’s fraud prevention. They asked if I’d placed an online order for a purse a couple of days prior.
A $750 purse.
Ummm, no.
Commence a couple of hours of online investigation and phone calls to credit card companies, Blooming*dale’s fraud prevention, and . . .
*surprise* . . .
the discovery of a $450 charge at Macy*s.com made that very day. (More purses.)
It was all handled pretty quickly. Cards cancelled and reissued. Charges reversed. A package intercept issued with UPS to re-route the shipments back to the senders.
Except that in talking to the fraud prevention guy, he gave me some troubling news.
The person who placed these orders not only had my credit card information, but my correct email address, home phone number, and they were having the purses sent TO MY HOME.
“So you need to understand that someone is or will be watching your home in anticipation of the delivery.”
Say WHAT?
It made no sense, unless it was someone I knew.
I’d heard that a merchant I used had had their computers hacked recently. I called them and the girl I spoke with said that the FBI had traced the “hacker” to either Russia or Vietnam
Voila!
That explained how a stranger in my area would have my information.
It was comforting to hear, because I didn’t have to then take inventory of my friends and family to figure out which one was a big fat thief. It was also SCARY to hear because holy cow people . . .
Stranger. Watching. My. House.
If the low-life dirtbag is tracking the package on the UPS website, they will already be aware that it has been intercepted and will not be delivered to my home.
If the lowlife dirtbag is simply going by Blooming*dale’s automated customer service, a very perky woman will have told them that their package will be delivered today.
So we wait.
There is no sneaking up on our home. Our street has very little traffic and we know most of the cars that “belong”. Our neighbor is aware of the situation. One of our dogs alerts us to anything that isn’t *quite right* in the area. (The other dog, our 8.5-pound trained killer attack Squirrel, alerts us when the ice maker dumps ice, when the washer is out of balance, and when a doorbell rings on TV. Not as helpful in this particular situation.) We have loaded gun and I can use it if I have to.
But the thing that brings me the most peace as I sit here at my desk?
My loving husband, who decided to work from home today just because he loves me and knows I’m spooked.
I may not have the money to keep myself in the style of low-life dirtbags (a $750 purse?!?!?) but I have something infinitely better.
I have someone to watch over me.
