Gas - The New Gold

Got a call from my credit card company that someone has forged my card and several copies of it are being used around Florida for the purchase of gas. So, they closed my card number and will reissue me a new card and number, which will arrive in about five business days.

First thing I had to do was go to a list I have made of regular accounts that charge to this card (e.g., telephone, TV). Thank goodness I have such a list, even if I found it a little out of date. Then I looked at my bills to see when those automatic bills were due. For those due within the next week, I had to call them and tell them to suspend my old credit card and that I would call with the new one.

When I get the new card, I’ll have to go online and change lots of stuff there with merchants with whom I trade. Which gets me to the next question: Whose database was hacked so they could get all my credit card information and create forged cards? Was it one of the online companies? Was it some other merchant (grocery, gas, clothing store)?

And what were the thieves buying? Gas. All the fraudulent charges were for gas purchases in Florida. No one went out and got a new TV or digital camera, a sofa or some hooch. Gas – the new gold.