Today I will go to the police station and fill out a report. I don't know that I have ever done that before. On Monday, my daughter went to the Royals game. While there, she misplaced her wallet. In her wallet were the normal things that a college student has. A debit card, driver's license, AAA card, and no cash. Oh yes, and she had Dad's credit card.
See it is that time of the year when college students buy their books. Online and with a credit card. Dad's card. And so goes the wallet, so goes the credit card.
You wonder if it is in lost and found. You wonder if it was vacuumed up by the giant clean up trucks. You wonder if it is on the side of the road somewhere. And you wonder if the bad guys got it.
So you cancel everything. The debit card, the credit card et al. Only one problem. Since you don't really use credit cards, you forgot which one you gave her, and you cancel the wrong one. So, on Thursday afternoon, [and why they wait until Thursday, I will never know, but I am grateful,] you get the phone call. "Mr. Brinkman, we are calling as a courtesy to let you know that we suspect fraudulent activity on your account."
Instantly I knew what happened. I cancelled the wrong card. After about 30 minutes on the phone with Capital One [the viking people] I have the entire story. From 3pm to 5pm yesterday afternoon, my credit card was used successfully twice and was declined four times at gas stations in the area of 25th and troost. Thank the Lord that the computers at the credit card companies just don't think that you should buy gas at a whole bunch of stations within a few hours.
It's funny. We lost the card and we cancelled the wrong one, but you still feel violated when you find out that someone is using your card like that.
I am making a police report today. Maybe with the dates and times, they can find a video tape at the station and catch the people who think that this is what you do when you find someone's wallet.
I guess I want you to know that if I find your wallet, you will get it back, with every stitch of cash. Heck, I will drive it to your home and drop it off. And to those who got a couple of free tanks of gas on the Brinkman's yesterday, well, if I knew that you needed it that bad, I would have just given it to you.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
4 comments:
Bummer. Unfortunately, I've been there and done that. The hassle and stress of it all is such an inconvenience.
But the fact that the person that found your daughter's wallet chose to do a bad thing instead of a good thing bothers me more.
How sad...
Cait lost her debit card recently in the theater. When she reported it to them they stated that is wasn't their problem to look for it and barely accepted her name and number in the event it was turned it. They did tell her she could go into the theater and look for it. So she went in, another movie was in progress and the theater was full. There was no way she was going to find it in the dark with a theater full of people. We were able to get a hold put on the card as she was still hoping to find it or that someone would turn it in. The card was never found or turned in and we are now awaiting the new one. And apparently no one attempted to use it.
She's off to college in a few weeks and I've been trying to figure out what to do about books and that sort of thing. She will be 10 hours away. I can't really just hand her a card to use and I don't want to really just leave it with her. Prepaid card maybe with a set amount so that if it's lost.... I don't know.
Tonia
1. I wonder how many times a lost wallet / credit card is returned by the person who found it vs. stolen and misused. Statistics like those are impossible I suppose. I like to think what goes around comes around . . . although probably not so in your case.
2. If ONLY the folks who have your credit card could read your blog . . . if only. It's how I like to start my day . . . maybe it could be how they start their . . . if only.
Last year I was the controller for the concessions and merchandise company that handled Arrowhead. After every game, we usually had anywhere from 3-10 lost credit cards or debit cards turned in by employees. As a rule, cards had to be sent to the cash room and then forwarded to me. After every game I would sit there and call the 800 number on the back of every card to report them lost. Most of them had not been reported as lost yet. I know if I misplaced my debit card, I'd freak out so I figure that's little less stress to encounter on Monday morning.
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