The Bike Rental Empire Strikes Back

Even though the Blog should be finished (although the internet is abuzz over the possibilities of some long lost VLogs resurfacing...) I couldn't help but share a bit of paranoia with you guys. Or guy, seeing that the rest of you probably stopped reading after the airport post, and only Randy continues to check daily with bated breath. (Shout out #3. What. Up.)

So, I'm out for dinner last night to celebrate the birthday of 2 friends. The food is good, the company even better, and a good time is had by all. The bill comes, and I hand my credit card to the waitress, only to have her come back and inform be that it has been declined - due to an error with the machine, no doubt. Bless her heart. This has never happened to me before, but I don't think much of it, and instead offer up my debit card and go on my merry way.

Then I get home, and spy the blinking light on my phone to indicate that a message awaits me on my voicemail. BMO's security department needs me to phone them back as soon as possible to clear up an urgent matter. Trouble is afoot.

So, this morning I'm downloading some new songs for Rock Band, only to discover that the transactions are being declined. Food might be one thing, but when I'm denied the chance to finally play Don't Stop Believing by Journey, well, that's where I draw the line. So, I phoned.

Turns out someone has been enjoying the good life in Quebec. On my dime. Luckily this registered as suspicious activity and they suspended my account. So, I have to get a new card, blah, blah, blah... More importantly I'm not liable for these charges.

But then they say something that catches my attention:

'We see that you had a bunch of purchases in Europe. It can be somewhat common for people there to record your credit card information and then sell it to people in the same country that the card originates from.'

Now I'm not one to point fingers, but it did make me think to myself: 'hmm, I wonder who would have been motivated to do that?'