I'm a crime victim!
When I went out to lunch at Cosi today, I (stupidly, true) put my bag over the back of my chair and proceeded to pay zero attention to it until I left. When I got home, there was a message on my answering machine from American Express. Someone used my card to purchase gift cards at Target, and they were suspicious, and the physical card was used. Did I have my card? I opened my wallet, and indeed, both my American Express and my other credit card, an MBNA, were gone. I know I had at least the American Express this morning, so I'm 95% sure it was stolen during lunch. Nothing else was missing, though. I had $12 in cash, my ATM card, several undeposited checks, my license, etc. Nothing terribly exciting, but still.
I called AmEx back, but the number they left, which was apparently specific to just the investigative people, informed me that they had left for the day and to call back after 9 am. I then called MBNA, let them know I had reason to believe my card has been recently stolen, and they checked into it and it had in fact been used around 3pm this afternoon, at a Rite-Aid and a Checkers (no idea what the latter is) and had been used, but declined, for an $800 purchase at Target.
MBNA isn't holding me responsible for any of the charges, even though I know legally I could have been liable for up to $50. I'm seriously, seriously impressed by American Express - the call they made was at 4:10 pm, which means the card was gone less than THREE HOURS. And I can guarantee I wouldn't have noticed the cards were gone until the next time I went to use one of them, which would have been days, at least. Which I imagine was the point of stealing only the cards - a stolen wallet I'd have noticed right away, same with stealing the cash as well as the cards; I would've then checked for the cards and seen they were gone and called to have them frozen. Pretty good plan, for stupid thieves.
Since it all has so far been much less painless than it could have been, I'm not really too upset. I'm taking it as an excellent reminder that I do, in fact, spend a good deal of time in a major city, and of the risks inherent to that. I used to be much more conscientious, aware of my surroundings, etc., but I've gotten comfortable and have let that slack off; obviously, I'll be a lot more careful in the future.
Plus, now I feel like a REAL Philadelphian! All the glitz and drama of crime victimhood with a minimum of pain or cost to me! Whoo!
When I went out to lunch at Cosi today, I (stupidly, true) put my bag over the back of my chair and proceeded to pay zero attention to it until I left. When I got home, there was a message on my answering machine from American Express. Someone used my card to purchase gift cards at Target, and they were suspicious, and the physical card was used. Did I have my card? I opened my wallet, and indeed, both my American Express and my other credit card, an MBNA, were gone. I know I had at least the American Express this morning, so I'm 95% sure it was stolen during lunch. Nothing else was missing, though. I had $12 in cash, my ATM card, several undeposited checks, my license, etc. Nothing terribly exciting, but still.
I called AmEx back, but the number they left, which was apparently specific to just the investigative people, informed me that they had left for the day and to call back after 9 am. I then called MBNA, let them know I had reason to believe my card has been recently stolen, and they checked into it and it had in fact been used around 3pm this afternoon, at a Rite-Aid and a Checkers (no idea what the latter is) and had been used, but declined, for an $800 purchase at Target.
MBNA isn't holding me responsible for any of the charges, even though I know legally I could have been liable for up to $50. I'm seriously, seriously impressed by American Express - the call they made was at 4:10 pm, which means the card was gone less than THREE HOURS. And I can guarantee I wouldn't have noticed the cards were gone until the next time I went to use one of them, which would have been days, at least. Which I imagine was the point of stealing only the cards - a stolen wallet I'd have noticed right away, same with stealing the cash as well as the cards; I would've then checked for the cards and seen they were gone and called to have them frozen. Pretty good plan, for stupid thieves.
Since it all has so far been much less painless than it could have been, I'm not really too upset. I'm taking it as an excellent reminder that I do, in fact, spend a good deal of time in a major city, and of the risks inherent to that. I used to be much more conscientious, aware of my surroundings, etc., but I've gotten comfortable and have let that slack off; obviously, I'll be a lot more careful in the future.
Plus, now I feel like a REAL Philadelphian! All the glitz and drama of crime victimhood with a minimum of pain or cost to me! Whoo!
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