Credit Card Hacked

It’s late. I decided to check my email one last time before bed.

NOTICE: Your credit card has suspicious activity. Kkkk. Is this real or a scam?

I decided to log onto my account and check it out. NEVER, EVER click on email like this. Always go to your actual account. After logging in, a screen popped up asking me to review some activity. All of it looked authentic except one. Following the prompt…following the prompt… “Thank you, your new card will be sent to you. Good-bye.”

Wait! We’re not at home, we’re traveling Europe for the next 5 months, and we use this card daily. Grappling for my card, I quickly dialed the number on the back and tried feverishly to get through the ridiculous AI “customer service” prompts that have nothing to do with my need today. Grr, AI hung up on me. Repeat.

Once I got to a human and explained my dilemma, I asked him to send the card to me in France, not at my home location. Initially he said he didn’t think that was possible, then put me on hold. Returning, he said yes, they could expedite the card to me with a 2–3-day delivery window via DHL service. So, I gave him my France address and information and hung up. Easy, right? No.

I made the phone call on Friday night France time. The next morning, I had one email from my bank explaining that a card had been sent via DHL to my France address with an arrival of Monday. Then, I had second email saying a card was being shipped through USPO to my home address in the USA. What? Two cards or is this a technology glitch?

Monday came and we waited at the apartment all day, but no delivery occurred.

Tuesday, we looked up a DHL sub-agent in town, not the main hub, and went to speak with them because it seemed easier to speak French-English in person with technology than try to call on the phone. The sub agent kindly saw that our package was in town, but there was a problem with the address. With great kindness he called the main agency and used his perfect French to reroute the package for us to pick up in this office.

Wednesday, we stopped at the sub-agency office, but no package. He couldn’t tell us why. So, Wednesday afternoon we took a bus over to the DHL warehouse hub located in the middle of grassy fields in a very industrial area. Using ONLY our translation app, we “spoke” with a French woman at DHL. We clarified our France address again but then arranged for the delivery to a different DHL sub-agency site near our apartment because we didn’t know the host’s last name for DHL to gain access into the apartment building.

Thursday, we went to the second DHL sub-agency site, but no package, and Friday was a National Holiday for France. Locals were going to enjoy their 3-day weekend, but not us. Fed up and now wondering if there even was a package, I finally called the 800-number on the website tracking my package and got automatically routed to the USA DHL facility. Language was easy as the customer service agent said the package was stuck at customs and one of his colleagues would call me in a couple of hours to sort it out. We eventually went to bed, DHL did not call us.

Monday, again. My bank emailed a notice saying the card had yet to be activated. Digging deep into the DHL website, I found other phone numbers for the European DHL. Ready with Greg’s phone for translation and my phone for the call, I dialed the number with anxiety. The customer service rep answered in French. When I asked if she could speak English, she switched and looked up my tracking number. Confirmation. There was my parcel and it was sitting at the main DHL warehouse hub. Like the others, she said there was a problem with the apartment number since we were renting with AIRBNB. This time I had the last name of our host. The DHL representative added extra notes including the host name and my USA phone number, then said the parcel would be delivered in 2 more days.

Tuesday to Friday we had reservations for a car. As we were planning our adventures for Tuesday, we realized we could drive to the DHL warehouse hub and pick up the package. We’d get the card earlier and wouldn’t have to wait for the DHL delivery driver. So, after Tuesday’s excursion, we drove to the hub and used our google translate app to explain our need to the one worker at reception. After about 5 minutes he emerged from the back area of the warehouse with the flat DHL package. We signed for it and danced all the way back to the car.

Lessons Learned:

1. ALWAYS monitor your charges even if you don’t remember the foreign names of restaurants and stores.

2. NEVER answer an email or text message regarding suspicious activity with banking.

3. ALWAYS call the number on your actual bank cards and keep fighting the AI service to speak with a real human being. Yes, they CAN expedite new cards to you.

4. ALWAYS have translation apps downloaded on your phone. WIFI and cell service may not be available or working.

5. If arranging for a package delivery while traveling, ensure these details:

   1. Know the full address and postal code

   2. Provide your name, your phone number AND the apartment host name which delivery agents use to access the intercom and front door at the apartment building.

6. DON’T be afraid to call international phone numbers.

7. ALWAYS know how to use the local language to ask “Do you speak ___insert your language here___?” If the answer is “no”, then you can at least say you tried.

So, you think this saga was over? Think again. Because of the fraudulent activity, the credit card company put an extra security measure on the card requiring us to call for each online purchase. Well, the travel life is full of online purchases for transportation and events. So, I had to call the bank and work with a supervisor to have the extra security removed proving my identity multiple ways.