I just had to cancel my check card, and here's why.
I've been locked out of my online account for a few months. Not sure why, but it's probably not related to the theft and more about me being stupid.
I haven't been able to look at my statements during that time, so I didn't notice any problems until today.
Somebody had stolen my card information from a hidden strip inside a vending machine, and have been helping themselves to soda ever since, but never too much at once because otherwise I would have noticed.
This mistake cost me almost 50 dollars.
How could I have prevented this, and how can you keep your information safe (from this specific problem)?
*NEVER use your card in a vending machine. Keep paper money in your wallet in case of soda emergency. It's too easy to hid information-gathering technology in the slots there, since they're not frequently checked on.
*Check your account balance frequently. Not only will this keep you from forgetting your password, it will also help you catch problems like this before they get too expensive.
*Write things down. Keep track of everything. Every account number, every password, every transaction. Keep it somewhere out of the way but where you can remember that it's there.
18 Oct 2016, 3:54 pm
