While traveling recently, the engine was damaged. Due to insufficient funds, the bank does not allow me to withdraw the money. I walked to my other bank and tried the ATM card again. Again he was rejected. Now I’m worried. Some of the ATMs seemed to be working with the bank room, but I was never rejected by two banks in a row. And when the third banker scattered the money, I knew something was seriously wrong.
I went back to the hotel where I was staying and used their computer to log into my bank account. From there I was able to access my accounts, and checking I was able to find that my account was dry. I sat there, almost stunned, staring at the screen. I was in the middle of Patagonia, and I was the victim of fraud. I still had a few weeks of vacation left – how would I get it? And how would I go back to Unit? Who did it?
After I caught my breath, I began to think. I reviewed my account history and put some pieces together. I soon realized how my account was stolen. A few weeks ago I made a transaction through PayPal. In this case I did it on the internet, on a computer that needed to have keystroke notes software installed on it. My passwords were stolen and My passwords were accessed by a third party. The worst thing is, my PayPal account is linked to my correct bank account and the author simply had my bank account depleted into his own PayPal account and then sent the money to himself.
The first time I did this was to notify my bank that there had been an unauthorized withdrawal from my checking account. I looked up the bank’s website again from my hotel computer. The site was a free toll-free number to be called on account of the service, and more importantly a list of dialing instructions for every country in the world. I quickly looked up the instructions for Argentina and with that, I called my bank’s 24 hour fraud hotline. Although the money was already taken directly from me, this allowed me to insist on payment in all future transactions. I also received confirmation of my item number, so that I could prove in the future that I needed it done early.
The second step I took was to notify PayPal that a fraudulent transaction had passed through me. I did this through their website. After I notified the company via email, I called the hotline to speak with a company representative. They took care of my account and also gave me the chance that I could refer them to my case quickly. I received promises from both PayPal and my bank that the matter had been investigated, but I felt like I was sinking my case into the bottom of the fraud file.
The third time I changed my password, I accessed it while traveling. I did this hoping that the hotel computer would be less likely to be infected by a hacker that could steal my keys. Then my hotel staff agreed to act as an interpreter and two of us made a report to the local police station. While local police rarely deal with internet crime, I felt it was important to get an official statement and copy to the authorities.
After I notified both my bank and PayPal, changed all my passwords, and got word from the authorities, I felt I had done everything I could. Having left the rest of the journey, by the generosity of my companions, I was able to eat and have a roof over my head until I could fly back to the Order. And when I got home, I found that PayPal had kept their word and had transferred the transactions through me. I was incredibly lucky. Over a thousand dollars disappeared, then returned.
In this case I perceived a lot of fraud. First of all, it is not a good idea to connect your financial accounts directly to other websites. Second, if you are doing online transactions, it is vital that you use a secure computer. Most internet cafes are not secure and administrators often do not keep their computers free. It’s a simple test to see if you can run computer programs on the Internet in your case. If the installation is successful and the administrator does not raise an eyebrow, the computer is not secure. It is best to avoid transactions that involve passwords, bank accounts or credit-card, especially when you are at an internet cafe. . And if you are a victim of fraud, be sure to set the alarm bells ringing as soon as possible. If all else fails, be sure to carry a backup bank card linked to a separate account as an emergency fund.
As I travel, I often break all these rules. I checked my bank account several times, I tracked my money spent and I got exchange-rates. Naively, I never thought that information could be easily used on the bench. I learned that fraud can happen anywhere in the world, even when it’s on strike. Caution and common sense when using public computers can prevent online theft from happening in the first place, and prompt action can limit damage if you are defrauded.
