And so it begins...

Got an email yesterday regarding a transaction on an account I hold. The subject was FRAUD ALERT!

Way to give me a panic attack.

Of course, I see this email while on lunch at work where I can do nothing but fidget and stew about the possible implications. The transaction was one which I had authorized but was clearly not in my usual spending habit. (Okay, it was on a check paid to a friend for a spur of the moment trip to Mexico. What could the bank possibly find suspicious about that? I put CABO! in the memo for pete's sake.)

After discovering the transaction was actually one of mine and not for...I don't know...thirty two big screen TV's ...I felt somewhat relieved. Until I called to verify the transaction.

My work shift starts early and ends late – the beauty of ten/twelve hour days. This put me calling the bank's 24 hour number this morning at 5:50 AM. Nothing odd about that, right? The representative was very pleasant and friendly. Pleased that I had called. Happy that I was going on a trip. But she insisted that I answer 'a few questions'.

The questions were multiple choice. Things like 'which of these are a type of car that you have owned', 'on Monday, what color did you paint your toenails', and 'where were you on the night of January 6'.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked if I needed my lawyer...

After promising to wear a wire and ratting out three relatives my transaction was approved.

Looks like this trip to Mexico is going to be smooooth sailing from here on out...

(stay tuned tomorrow for the original "International Incident"!)