nickel and dime

Words of caution - review your bank account statements REGULARLY. In fact, be anal about it...after all, this is YOUR MONEY that we're talking about. My blog may only have an audience of 4 or 5 people. So what...if you're reading this (even by accident or pure boredom), then this message is meant for you.

I have been dog-tired lately. The J.O.B. is actually making me WORK for this new change that they kicked at me come raise time. So, I have been a little more than "out of it" lately. However, what I spotted on my bank statement alerted me like a shot of caffeine.

I have an active checking account back home that I have had since I was in my teens. Well, when I moved to VA, I had to open a different account at a new bank b/c the other bank does not have a brick and mortar establishment up here. With that said, I never use that debit card associated with that old account. In fact, I just keep it open b/c J's dad and my pops both have my account number and occasionally (and that's a pretty weak occasionally) deposit money into that account...well, J's dad has an automatic debit set up at his place of employment but the turn-around time for him to take action on changing something about our agreement is ridiculous. I also keep it open in the event that FEMA one day decides that they miscalculated how much I am entitled to...fat chance, maybe but that's the account number on file.

Honestly, I don't ever keep more than $300 in this account so I very rarely do any sort of online banking at the old bank. Yesterday, I was on the site b/c I was trying to verify that money from J's dad was deposited in that account recently and THAT'S when I noticed debit charges from some By.ersbooks company (supposedly out of NJ) in amounts of $6.95, $4.95, and $2.95. This is easy for me to spot b/c I don't have many monthly transactions. Well, I googled the company and came up with some forums on it being a fraudulent company, some sort of well-established ebook crime syndicate.

So, I called my bank and cancelled that debit card and started the process for filing a claim...granted, the company never charged more than $10 at a time, but that's how you get robbed in A BIG WAY b/c it's ALMOST unnoticeable. But wasn't that the plan of those dudes in that movie Offic.e Space when they wanted to rebel against the company??? Thankfully, I caught it early. As I was reading on those forums, some people noticed this stuff happening last year some time. I still don't know how my information was compromised. Some think that this scam is linked to some leak with Equifax account holders. I really have no clue, but the take-home message today, folks, is...

REVIEW YOUR BANK STATEMENTS REGULARLY.

Thank You and good night.