Compromised!

For reasons apparent to regular readers of KintlaLake Blog, I no longer own a credit card. These days I pay for my over-the-counter purchases by cash, check or debit card. Online I use EFT, PayPal or, occasionally, my debit card number.

I just got off the phone with my bank -- my debit card has been compromised.

According to the bank, which called me within minutes of suspecting a breach, it had nothing to do with merchant security or careless use of the card. The fraudulent transaction -- in the amount of $1.01, from a merchant I'd never used -- is the typical product of robo-software that constantly scans random sequences of 16-digit numbers and financial institutions, looking for acceptance.

If a small transaction goes through, the software comes back later for another bite -- a bigger bite -- at the account.

My card has been blocked, and I'll get a new one (with a new number) in a day or two. I don't love banks, generally speaking, but I sure love mine right now.