This I posted on "tell a model A story". It may be appropriate to post it here too.
Living amongst thieves.
It is rare that I lock doors or gates. I don’t lock motorcars and mostly leave the key in the ignition. I leave money around the house. I don’t steal from others and never think that people could or would steal from me. Yes, I’m gullible.
About 3 years back I purchased a four-wheel John Deere tractor on the internet. The price was good and my reaction was similar to a kid in a toy shop. Since I had an eBay invoice I couldn’t wait to secure the deal and I got the money to the seller as fast as possible. Well it was all phoney including the authentic looking invoice and serial number. Yes that old saying “ if it looks too good to be true: it's probably not true”. The seller was not here in Australia but most likely Nigeria. You all know the story. You’ve heard it all before.
Well here’s a new one. New to me that is. My daughter, Sarah, who we call Fifi because she was born on Bastille Day was driving home early one morning and stopped near Canberra to refuel. About five days later she went to pay wages to those who worked in her small business and found she was short of money. Thirteen thousand short. It looks most likely a solitary thief standing behind her at the service station till had an electronic reading devise on him in person. He was able to scan her credit card which she was holding in her hand. The bank issuing the credit card has recovered about ten thousand. I do hope for her they will recover the lot.
Well Gary (that’s me) has ordered some small cardboard non electrical penetrating envelopes with which to place credit cards and prevent skimming. I’ll share these with my kids and told Fifi I’d give her a couple. But she said she would put her credit card on her telephone. Well that’s all above my head and I don’t carry a telephone. I am not that important that I need to be contactable at all times plus I enjoy solitude.
The purpose of this story is to tell you or remind you that you can be skimmed with your credit card in your hand, wallet or handbag.