Well, that explains things

[offcntr]

So it turns out that three of my tech problems were related.

I've been hacked.

I'd gotten a suspicious phone call on my cell Monday, that I didn't recognize as suspicious until too late. Hung up, called my cell provider and they recommended I log in and change my password and pin, which I did--on my tablet, thankfully. Because in the time between when I foolishly read them my confirmation code and the time I changed my passwords, they managed to clone my phone. And then logged into my credit union account and add their phone number and address. Logged into my email and changed the password. And locked me out of my phone.

Fortunately, changing the SIM on the phone cut them out there. And OCCU, bless their hearts, saw all this suspicious activity and locked down my account. So while they were able to give themselves access, the account froze before they could do anything with it.

I spent a good bit of this morning on the phone with the credit union sorting things out. I'll keep my member number, but will get all new account numbers, will need a new username for my online banking, and will have to stop in with Denise--it's a joint account--to get new debit cards.

I called Denise with the "good" news, and just as I was saying goodbye, got a new call coming in from Beaverton. It was First Tech Federal Credit Union, calling to welcome me as a new account holder. So I immediately said No! It's identity theft! and spent the next half hour on the phone with them getting that account locked down. Don't know whose money they used to open the account; as far as I can tell, it wasn't mine.

But I froze my reports on the three credit sites, changed the password on my credit card, and ran my phone battery down to zero. Got home to an email from a high-end gaming equipment company, saying they were holding the $500 chair I'd looked at in my cart, if I wanted to complete the purchase. Hold it all you like, buddy. I ain't paying for it.

But at least I managed to glaze 19 pots before I had to run for the bus home.

Comments

[dine]

oof! not great - but at least you discovered it and could get things sorted without too much delay

[genarti]

Augh, what a massive pain! That makes more sense than the cavalcade of coincidences, I guess, but it sucks even more. Congrats on getting most of it sorted out efficiently, but what a massive annoyance!

[lovelyangel]

Ugh. I hate this kind of stuff. What a pain. Good luck in slogging through the aftermath.

[anais_pf]

People are horrible! I'm so sorry this happened to you.

_nf_rm_t__n H_ghw_y R_bb_r_

[frith]

All those things going wrong at the same time was really suspicious. Such shenanigans is why callers have to reply to my "answering machine" with a name and a phone number before I'll listen or speak. Alas, I do have debit cards but I try to not use them except at an automatic teller in a bank.

Care to buy a vowel?