Someone Has My Paypal Password… Contest Extended!
I wish this was just a fabricated scenario. Here’s what happened:
-Someone SOMEHOW got my password to my Paypal account
-Someone withdrew over $3,000 from my checking/Visa account through Paypal
-I say “What the floop?” … well, I didn’t say exactly that, but I am sure you can imagine what I did say
So I IMMEDIATELY call Paypal and by bank. My bank tells me there is nothing they can do until the charges hit my account. I open a claim on Paypal to dispute the charges - 5 charges were completely reversed, minus $1600, which were kept IN my Paypal account.
Alright, that’s okay, as long as those jerks don’t get any money.
Unfortunately, here’s my situation…
- I have to pay bills
- My credit card gets cancelled
- My car is in the shop
- Bank is closed early on Saturday and closed on Sunday
- This happened on a Saturday
- My subscriptions all renewed on Saturday… but couldn’t renew because I no longer had a credit card
- I never carry cash
When it rains, it pours.
Now I have to wait to get a new credit card in the mail, pull out cash on Monday, and change every single billing option… ever.
I must admit this was definitely a learning experience! Be VERY careful where you put your information - even if it IS a legitimate site, there may be some mistake. I NEVER open emails asking for Paypal information - I always go directly to the website, so there must have been some fatal error somewhere. Always have a backup credit card and/or cash to prepare for the worst… because when it rains, it will often pour.
My hat goes off to Paypal’s customer service - it isn’t outsourced, so I got representatives who spoke plain English. They were incredibly helpful, nice, and understanding; and all of the funds were safely prevented from going into the wrong hands and/or reversed back into my bank account (there are still a few charges I am waiting on, but I recently called them again and that is being worked on as I type this).
To relate this back to being a young entrepreneur, let’s look at this like it just happened to you. If you have started your own business, what security do you have? Sometimes the simplicity of having one credit card can mean you and your business would be stranded without money!
This can happen to anyone. What is your backup plan?
Contest Information/Changes
Since I don’t have the credit card to pay for the contest prize, I am extending it to NEXT Tuesday. I should hopefully have it by then. I will make a post tomorrow including several entries. I appreciate those who have entered the contest and I hope to see some more in the coming days!
Tags: backup plan, contest change, identity theft, lessons learned, Paypal, stolen passwordRelated Stories
POSTED IN: "Oh Crap" Moments
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