I’m usually a pretty trusting person. I’m not the type that likes to think the world is out to get them, or that people are evil, but after several incidents that have taken place in recent weeks, I’m becoming a little less trusting and a little more jaded.
It seems like there has been a wave of scams lately. I know that this trend isn’t a new development, but it seems like in the past only the weak and the naive were pulled into these, but as more time goes by, I’m beginning to think everyone is at risk.
I’m not talking about the typical “you’ve won a prize and all I need to get it to you is a $50 delivery fee, so give me your credit card number” type of scams. The things I’m most worried about are the things that can happen while you do absolutely nothing.
A couple of weeks ago, I found out that someone had mysteriously gotten a hold of some of my credit card information. Luckily, most credit card companies are used to that by now, and although the jerk had spent way more than my limit, the company said it would be relatively simple to freeze the account, distinguish the charges made in Costa Mesa, Calif. from those that were actually made by my husband and I and to issue new cards with different numbers.
It seemed like the matter was completely cleared up. That is until the same credit card company called a few weeks later to notify us that there was some strange activity on the card. Apparently someone in Costa Mesa, Calif. was again charging up a huge amount of debt on our credit card, and although the account was supposed to be frozen, for some reason, it was not.
After a few very harshly spoken words, the matter was supposedly resolved. If that were the only issue at the moment, maybe I wouldn’t be so quick to assume everyone is out to make a quick buck, however it was only a matter of time until another unpleasant situation would pop up.
Shortly after my run-in with the credit card company, I got a notice from the phone company saying my bill hadn’t been paid in months. I’m not always the most organized person, but I knew that wasn’t right. Since I’ve become technologically dependent, I pay all of my bills using my online banking, and it didn’t take long to figure out that while the bank was taking money out of the account to pay the bill, it wasn’t getting to the phone company. That issue has also apparently been resolved.
But just a few days later, I received a phone call about a purchase I had made, with a different credit card of course, for some Christmas items. It seems although I called to get a quote for the correct price, the company had decided to charge us an additional $80 and wanted to know how we would like to pay for that. Ordinarily, I probably would have caved, but luckily there was someone in the office with a firmer disposition than mine, and the order is now being shipped at the original price.
And those are just a few of the recent encounters I’ve had. Honestly, it’s starting to make me wonder about things a lot more. Like yesterday, when that guy clearly overcharged me for lunch, ($12 for a grilled cheese?) was that really an honest mistake, or is everyone really out to get every last dollar they can, even if it is in a not-so-honest manner.
I’m trying not to let all of this ruin my trusting nature, but I guarantee I’m going to be watching everything and everyone a little closer from here on out, and maybe you should too.