Just past 8 a.m. this morning I got a very important phone call. It was an automated voice from the Visa Security Center. It informed me that someone had been using my Visa number to purchase several things online. And they wished to check with me if these were my purchases.
If I wished to continue and speak to a representative all I had to do was hit the number 1 on my telephone.
Being very concerned because I had not made these purchases, I hit the number 1 button on my telephone. It sent me directly to a Visa security representative. He asked me if I had made several purchases with my Visa card online at Google Play and eBay. I immediately denied making these rather large purchases. The representative at Visa security suggested that I cancel my card immediately because obviously somebody had gotten ahold of my Visa number. I agreed. So he asked me to tell him my Visa number and he would cancel it for me and send me a new Visa card.
It might have been early in the morning, however I had no intention of giving my Visa number out on the telephone. So I said to him,
"that is not how it works. You tell me what visa number is being used and I will confirm or deny if it is my Visa number."
He answered with the words, "Uh, excuse me?"
I repeated what I had just said.
"I have no intention of giving out my Visa number over the telephone to someone who is a complete stranger. After all I did not phone you , you phoned me. How do I know that you are actually Visa security? Perhaps you're the bad guys trying to get hold of my Visa number."
CLICK!
He hung up the phone pretty fast.
They obviously were the 'bad guys."
They perhaps thought they could trick me if they phoned early in the morning and caught me being stupid with sleep.
They were very convincing . From the initial automated voice , to requiring me to press a button, to the background noise of the security representative. It actually sounded like he was only one person in a cubicle surrounded by other Visa security people in their cubicles.
Whatever you do, do not give any information over the telephone unless you are the one that initiated the call. If someone gets upset with you, then they are not honest. It means they are the bad guys!
Many of us are feeling self-conscious because we may be in debt and our Visa may be maxed out. Or we are just one of those people who cannot get a useful thought in our head until we have had our morning cup of coffee.
I am so glad I did not fall into their trap and I am hoping that by telling you about it, you will be spared any hardship too.
Be careful. And let's watch out for each other. I don't know about you but I am My Brother's Keeper or at least My Neighbor's Keeper.
Stay safe. God bless. Jesus loves you. Have a great weekend. With a 'Cheery' on top!
Love, Laura Lee
