Yup. A coworker had her wallet stolen out of her desk at work, and less than 20 minutes later there was a charge at a gas station a few blocks away. Plus with pay-at-the-pump options, there isn’t even someone checking the card to see if the gender of the card user matches, much less if they have an ID or anything.
Sorry, purple, that really sucks.
Man, that sucks.
I’m wondering if maybe your wallet was stolen out of your purse, as opposed to you losing it. We had a rash of robberies at work a few years back and it ended up that a gang of thieves were targeting offices. But they were even more sneaky and would steal a single credit card out of each wallet, so that the owner didn’t realize it until thousands of dollars had been put on it.
In short, lock your purse up if it’s somewhere unlocked.
Yeah, I was thinking about that too. It’s really bad luck to have the person who finds a lost wallet also be a thief. But if the wallet wasn’t lost in the first place… then it’s obviously not surprising at all.
Not the most urbane pick-up line I’ve ever heard, but at least it’s original…
I’m shocked to learn your debit cards can be used for any transaction without a pin number. That’s not the case in my country. I really don’t understand the thinking, how is that safer than cash then?
I do sympathize about your wallet though, that truly sucks. How long till your next paycheque (you or hubby)? Here’s hoping you have a well stocked pantry to see you through!
Plain debit cards can’t, but those are few and far between these days. Most people have what we call Visa debit cards or Mastercard debit cards - those can be used like any credit card, with the exception that the spending limit is what’s in your checking account, rather than whatever a credit card’s limit is, and that the money comes right out of your account rather than being paid later. You can run transactions as a credit card (sign for your purchases) or debit card (use the pin number).
The benefit of them is that you can buy stuff over the Internet without having a credit card. Downside: When they get stolen, thieves can get at your money more easily. Mind you, a thief with a real credit card could use pay-at-the-pump to buy gasoline just as easily, or buy stuff at stores if the gender matches and the retailer doesn’t check photo IDs. It’s just that if it’s tied to your checking account, it takes longer to get access to your money while the bank freezes everything and investigates.
If I understand correctly, debit cards don’t have the federal liability protections that credit cards do. I think there is a maximum $50 limit that you can be held liable for if your credit card is lost or stolen and you report it promptly. A debit card doesn’t have that limit.
Thieves will often try a card, run as credit, at a gas station pay at the pump. That way, if it is declined, they won’t be seen by anyone. If there was a second charge, it likely wasn’t fuel, but something from the convenience store inside, probably alcohol or cigarettes.
Once again, you never fail to make me laugh. A special thank you for being you, Vinyl VegetableI’veNeverTasted.
Thanks, everyone, for the sympathy. I was just venting last night - I really needed to get at least some of it out of my system lest I dump it all on Mr. Horseshoe just as he comes home from a long night at work - and I wasn’t expecting so much sympathy.
I will try to stop beating myself up now.
I have heard of gas stations that, in order to maximize positive cash flow, have added a retail area stocked with all sorts of stuff. Like beer and shit. Could be just an urban legend, I suppose.
For the record, the cost incurred is primarily the cash that I’d just pulled from the ATM. Secondarily, time (read: time is money!) lost in having to go back to the DMV or Dept. of Public Safety or whatever, to sit in line for an hour or two to get a new driver’s license. Tertiarily (?) is the potential costs of ID theft, which knock on wood simply won’t happen.
I’m not on the hook for the fraudulent charges racked up by whoever found/took my wallet. Thank you, Wells Fargo. (I have the same bank.)
Oh. Quad-tiarily, or whatever: I need to purchase a new wallet. Previous wallet was a beautiful, amazingly-soft colorful leather one given as a gift from a dear friend. Gone now. Pppbbbbbbth.
Okay, I forgot the new regs requiring to pay before you pump gas. I always use a cardlock and get a monthly gas bill.
Really, no need to get all sarcastic.
Even easier, if you have ready access to a photocopier or scanner, is to arrange all your cards on the flat bed, copy (or scan) one side, then flip them all over and scan the back sides. You may also be able to use a digital camera.
If you travel, you can print out a copy and keep it in your room, in case your wallet is lost then. My wife’s wallet was stolen out of her large, open purse while walking around in a foreign country. Fortunately we each keep a backup credit card and copies of all our cards in our hotel room while traveling, so it wasn’t a disaster.
So since you’re obviously inviting us all to fuck you, it’s not rape, right?
I was just gonna say, talk to someone before resorting to street prostitution. Unless you’re really, really cute. 
@purplehorseshoe, sorry to hear about your theft. It’s a major PITA to replace even one credit card when it gets stolen, so I can barely imagine what it’s like to need to replace everything at once. I wouldn’t worry too much about identity theft, though – there’s many, many more convenient ways for crooks to steal your identity. (Trust me on this…)
Yes, and he has to get rid of the real person so that they can’t blow his cover.
But, don’t worry about that either. Please.
Tee Hee! We have fun here, don’t we!
Best wishes,
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That sucks ass. It happens to nearly everyone at least once. Just try to make a learning experience out of it. Bank with a bank that covers unauthorized card charges and don’t carry that much cash anymore. Ever, for any reason. The only time I can think that cash is actually necessary is when going out to eat at a hole in the wall that doesn’t accept card transactions. For larger card-free transactions, use a money order or cashier’s check. Use a debit card for your day-to-day expenses. It is absolutely just safer.
It sucks that we have to “live defensively” so to speak, but it’s the price of living in a capitalist culture. I don’t like the collectivist mindset in general, but when you lose something in an Asian country, the average joe who finds it will pretty much ALWAYS turn it in. Whereas your average American joe would at least gank the cash out. (I wouldn’t say it’s average to use the cards, though, that’s pretty fuckin slimy and ballsy)
There almost never is.
That’s helpful advice… no wait, the other thing. :rolleyes:
It’s a LOT harder to look at a debit card and think “Hmm, I have 20 dollars left to spend” than it is to look at the money in the wallet and make the same mental adjustment.
Plus, if you make a small purchase during part of a shopping day, it’s VERY easy to mentally forget it, or be in such a rush at checkout time that you forget to write it in your check ledger. You pay in cash, that money’s gone from under your eyes and later in the day, you still know it’s gone.
Study after study bears this out. Even people using debit cards spend more than people spending cash. Even people who think they’re being careful. Even people who ARE being more careful than most.
Back to the OP. Sorry. That sucks. With the “gas purchases”, all hope of it being found by a good samaritan is gone. Damn.
[snickers]how’s life in Mayberry? I hear the local PD there isn’t overly busy solving important crimes o’er in your neck of the woods.[/snickers]