Oh H*E*C*K No....I've been FRAUDed

Well, I never thought it would happen to me....but yes, your girl was a victim of FRAUD! I was just doing a typical/random checking of my bank account online last night and saw where a pending transaction of $445.00 was made via Western Union (WU). My eyes immediately BUCKED like a deer...lol. The first thing I knew to do was call my bank, but unfortunately they were gone for the day. I wanted to become super upset, but the spirit of God would not let me. The only thing I could hear was...."It will be taken care of, its okay" in my mind. So I gathered my thoughts & did just that. I had to wait until this morning to call and try to get this matter resolved.

I called the bank first and they put a freeze on my card in order to issue me a new one. The lady also told me that whoever did it previously tried to make two other transactions on the same day but they didn't go through; one for $619 and the other for $613, but the $445 went through though it hadn't officially posted to my account just yet. I was like, "WHAT THE WHAT" & immediately began thinking about all of the possible contenders. Then I was told to call WU & go from there. So I then called WU and spoke with a really nice guy who couldn't pronounce my first name...haha. He was very respectful and clear, and assured me that this matter could indeed be taken care of. He couldn't give me alot of details in order to protect the thief (just in case I knew them and personally wanted to go HAM, lol), but he did tell me that it was made with my debit card information. From there, I had to file a police report, call WU back, & they handled it.

Long story short, BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHERE AND HOW YOU SWIPE YOUR DEBIT & CREDIT CARDS! I was told someone had to have physically had my credit card info, including expiration date and the security number on the back in order to make THIS particular unauthorized transaction. Though I had my card in my possession, I couldn't help but think of the purchases I made online over the last few days (I'm an avid online shopper, lol) & the countless number of times I allowed the waiter/ress to take my card to the back with them. It could have come from someone writing my card info down, a transaction made at the gas pump, or even hackers (through computer viruses, bugs, etc) on the internet. Be mindful of the websites you purchase from & who is around you when you swipe your card. One of my classmates taught me that if there isn't an "s" behind the http:// in the web address bar at the top of your screen, then it is NOT a secured website (it should look like this- https://), so be very careful when making purchases. Also, another tip I learned a while back is to put a slash through your $0 amount on your ticket/receipt (if you decide not to tip via your credit/debit card) like this Ø  or like this  0. That way, no one can write their OWN tip amount in the blank if you didn't do so. Make sure you check your account regularly for any suspicious transactions as well.

Because I don't know where, how, or even why....I just count it all joy. I'm actually glad it happened because I'm now more aware of how and where I swipe my cards! I knew mobile banking was a feature you could obtain, but since I didn't think too much into it then, I NOW have it at which I just set up today. If you don't have it, please get it especially if you swipe your card alot and periodically write checks like me. I know it is going to be so convenient to know when I've swiped, when I'm in the negative, in overdraft (prayerfully NOT, lol), when a check clears, when money is deposited, etc. all within a text message.

One thing the enemy will try to do is get you off course, especially if God is elevating you. BUT, he will flee if you resist him (James 4:7), so that's exactly what I did. I chose to remain calm & believe GOD to do the impossible. You see, what the devil meant for BAD, God will cause it to work for my GOOD! The man from WU told me that I was the most pleasant person he'd ever talked to in a situation like this, lol, and that made me feel much better.  I told him there was no reason to get all angry and upset. I simply TRUSTED God, and he is so awesome to the point where he'll bless me with 10 x's as much that was taken from me, even though I don't deserve it! Hallelujah! But I encourage you to be more mindful of your identity, especially when making transactions in person or via the web! Hope this helps someone :-)

**and God placed a word about spiritual FRAUD in my "spur-et, lol" at which I pray to share as he leads me, so stay tuned for that** :-)

Sometimes ya' just gotta....LOL!

THANKS FOR READING!!!