Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I was robbed today. I wasn’t mugged, it wasn’t anything like that but my checking account was invaded (ok, more like embezzled). I’m not smart enough to know how they did it although through the miracle of a Google search I now know there are a number of different ways it can happen–creating a fake card and electronic check withdrawals are two potential means and then I stopped reading…

What was incredible to me was how easily I could have missed it. I was making a deposit into my checking account using the ATM and, of course, I asked for a receipt. I don’t always look at the receipt. Sometimes I just throw it into my bag. Today for some reason I decided to look at it before I left and something looked very wrong with my resulting balance. So I walked right into the branch and up to the teller. He produced a list of all my debit card charges and there plain as day was a charge that was absolutely not mine–it was very sizable and, because of the amount I could see right away I did not make it.

A Happier Update: As I was coming home tonight on the train, I saw a woman on a crowded platform of commuters with a baby strapped to her front and bags on either side. In front of her was a hassled looking male commuter anxiously waiting for the train–let’s face it, Friday night we all want to get home–and as the train finally pulled into the station people pushed and positioned themselves to get on board prepared to pack themselves like sardines. For a brief moment, as the doors were opening, this man turned his head around and saw the woman with the baby behind him and in a split second made the decision to let her go in front of him and in-so-doing, did not get a place on the train. There were a few of us left on the platform as it pulled away from the station. I said to him: that was a kind thing you did. His reply: it’s the right thing to do. I didn’t tell him this part but he did me a great service too, he reminded me there is more good in the world than not. I needed that. With that I went home to my family.