Monday, March 08, 2010

Monday-noon

Looking at the pictures I took yesterday of Miss Karma--well, kind of grounding for me after the events of the morning.
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Karma was a little bored with the porch. No bugs.
Very little snow and what was left was wet and heavy--obviously not tasty.
She didn't stay out very long. Even the carpeting was a bit soggy.
No porch appeal yesterday. Boring.
Okay--what happened this morning? *sigh*
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I have been keeping a closer check on my bank account online since I had troubles with somebody using my last debit card. What do I find this morning? An alien charge on my BRAND NEW card!!
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I just finished talking with a very nice young man from Wells Fargo. Yes--it was a small charge on my new card. (I was hoping it might have been from the old card somehow.) So, I had to file another claim. This time I cancelled this new card and am not getting another one. Not until they find out how I am being targeted. Oh My!! I just remembered the virus! Be back...
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I called back and told them about the virus. I'll bet that is how they got the new information so fast! That virus must still be in the computer! Dang! Well--no more online shopping for me. I'll have to do it the old fashioned way--by check and snail mail. I wanted to get back to saving for the chair and laptop table anyways, right? ;)
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But--that also means no Netflix! :( I don't think they do anything by check. I'll find out. I put my account on hold. And I will have to go over and pick up my pills every month from the pharmacy. (Dagan and Leah will be glad I will be forced to drive the car once every month, at least--hehe!) I think that is it, tho.
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This afternoon I go to the dentist to get a cavity filled. It's raining lightly, but warm--36 degrees! I'll have to double check how to turn on the windshield wipers before I leave. (That's how little I drive this car--hehe!)
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I guess Dagan is going to have to strip the brains out of the PC...and did we copy the PC brains to the portable hard drive after the virus or before? We put it into the McLap! This all gives me a headache.
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Beware of fake Microsoft alerts telling you that you have a virus! Don't touch anything!
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I need to just take a deep breath. Now I am really glad I decided to order what I did this month, tho. It may be a good long time before I am getting any more craft stuff. Not that I don't have plenty--hehe! And now we have coming what we need for playing with beeswax, too.
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Stress and I do not do well. Need to put on some peaceful music and read for a while. I have a couple of hours before I have to leave. Everything will be fine....:) Everything will be fine...:)

13 comments:

Leah said...

Rita,

I think you're really overeacting here... You don't need to cancel your Netflix, or only use cash and checks...We need to make sure that you haven't saved your card information somewhere on your computer, of you have we'll remove it.

Also, Dagan can check on the virus, but as far as I know it's gone. So, it's not that. Some of the places that you're ordering from could have laxed security on their sites and so the perpitrator is getting your info from that site, not you. There are lots of variables here.

Also, if you could email me the information from your bank account, what it said, most of the time it has a name or even a number to call listed. If not, that's fine too.

Another thing to do is to change your passwords, they could have gotten your password to some site that you use and have saved your card information... You should never save your card information anywhere, not on any site, take the extra time to enter it each time your order, too risky otherwise.

Anyway, don't panic, it will be alright! Also, don't worry, we'll get everything straightened out for you. Dagan and Iggy might know more about this stuff, too, so they might have some other suggestions. :)

Thank you kindly,
Leah

Celticspirit said...

I think you can still order stuff online....just maybe get a different account number on your bank card? Or you can get one of those visa cards at Walmart that work just like a credit card until this mess is straightened out. Did they ever find out who made the bank charges? Another thing....do you leave your computer on all the time? I used to and Russell told me that's how you can get a virus. So now I try to remember to shut it off. Good luck in getting all this fixed.

akartisan said...

Like Leah said, you can call the phone number to find out where the charge came from - it might be someplace you forgot about. I have a notebook just for all my computer passwords because there are so many of them.
Some cards, like Citibank I think have a system where you put in a secure fake number that is different each time. I use paypal for a lot of things and so far, have had no problems with it.
HTH

AliceKay said...

I use PayPal as much as possible because it's secure and I've never had a problem with it. When you go to the check-out on the sites you normally buy from, do you see https in the addy? If the "s" is there, it's a secure site and there shouldn't be a problem with buying from that site. And Celticspirit's idea of using one of those debit cards from Walmart (or Kmart or another store) is a good idea. Crooks can't get your bank info when you use those cards. (the world we live in these days is a scary place, isn't it?)

Everything will be fine. *hugs*

Serena Lewis said...

I think something like alien charges on your card would definitely make you wary of using your card online. I'd probably feel the same as you but there has to be a way they are accessing this private info, especially in light of the fact that you were issued with a new card with different details. I agree with Leah....be careful never to store card information on your computer or other sites for that matter.

Beau had to completely re-format and go back to factory settings on his laptop due to getting fooled by one of those fraudulent Microsoft warnings. We thought we had cleared the virus a few times but it kept cropping up again. Apparently, the virus effects a file with a .SAM ending which apparently is the file that controls all the Windows Operating System security and is near impossible to replace. The format and opting to go back to factory settings did the trick, however, your computer may not have that option. I'm sure Dagan can check it all out for you though. In saying all that, I don't know if the virus you got hit with is the exact one that hit Beau but it was through a fake Microsoft warning.

Yes....take a deep breath because everything WILL be fine. Whatever is happening can be rectified, one way or another. This too shall pass, my friend ~ xo

Btw, I love that last pic of Karma waiting to come back inside.

Intense Guy said...

I can see why you are upset.

:(

I detest those that write virus code. Imagine what they could do if they used their talents for the good?

I bet somedays, you wish you were Karma, without a real care in the world - but if you were, you wouldn't be able to make those wonderful cards and other craft items you make.

akartisan said...

the other thing to look for is the little padlock symbol in the bottom right of your taskbar to indicate that it's a secure site. Computers are definitely a learning curve.

Rita said...

Leah,
They are definitely tracking me somehow and I am going to do without a debit card for a while. Dagan will erase the brains on the PC next Wednesday.

As you know, I don't deliberately leave my card number on websites. And even if I did--this is a new one and I hadn't left it anywhere. Only used it a few times.

Anyways, we can talk more on Wednesday. :) LY

Rita said...

CelticSpirit (Barbara?),
I hadn't heard about the cards you can buy at Walmart! That might be the perfect solution for me. Especially if you can add more money to them as you need to like you can with the gift cards thy sell. I will look into that--thanks so much! :)

I shut my computer and laptop down at night. I always remember to sign off when I go to my bank site. I don't leave my information on the sites I shop in--the only one who kept it automatically was USPS for stamps. And they have my old card and not this second one that also got hijacked. ??? I still think it might have been a virus of some kind since I just had that fake Microsoft one?

Anyways, I am going to check out the Visas you can pick up at Walmart! :)

Rita said...

Sue,
The charges went thru the bank without me ever seeing anything but some alien abbreviated stuff listed online as a charge. There's no phone number for me to call. The bank is tracking it. They reimbursed me and I already signed the paperwork that they sent me.

Really seems like it had to be tracked from the source--my computer. I didn't shop at one same shop with the second card, either. Creepy. But I think it will be all fixed. Dagan is going to reformat the desk computer. And I believe we copied the brains from the PC before I ever had the virus. Just is a real pain in the butt--hehe! :)

Rita said...

AliceKay,
I had a paypal account once. Opened it up to buy one item. Didn't use it for the better part of a year and was hacked for around $700.00 for some fancy phone by somebody in Europe. So, I'm leery of paypal, too. Even tho no one else I know has had any trouble with it--including Leah. I don't have much luck with these things, do I? Dagan and Leah say I am "the" test to see if a Mac can get a virus--hehe!

I really do think that buying one of those Visa cards at Walmart and putting money directly in it like a gift card--if that's how they work--is the best idea for me. I will check it out next month when I have money. :):)

Rita said...

Serena,
Yup--don't store information on the sits I shop with. Always have to put it in every time.

I think it was that virus. Dagan isn't going to put windows back on when he reformats the computer, either. Says he is going to put on Linnex (however you spell it). That is what he is using, I guess. I will be the test for Linnex getting a virus, I guess--ROFL!

It is better already. :):)

Rita said...

Iggy,
Yes--I have thought of that, too. If the people who spend all that thought, talent, and time in developing schemes and problems would spend that same effort in doing positive things....:):)

But then--if everything happens for a reason...??? I've been thinking on that. :)

I'm chuckling! I'm sure if Karma could talk she would be complaining half the time about her life--well, maybe less than half the time--but she'd be bitching about not getting her way, having to wait for me to get up and being on these crazy hours, people coming over and making her nervous, wet carpet on the porch, getting chased off stuff, me interrupting her sleep, no bugs.....ROFLMAO!!!! :):)