Too much things...

Three days before my vacation is over I am feeling like I am in a creative slump. I feel like everything I have written in the last few weeks is basically crap and I have been fooling myself all along about my writing abilities. I feel like I have too many things to say and I just cannot say them they way I would like to. That is not exactly great for someone who wants to finish a manuscript by the middle of April, but I trudge on – Finish what I start; commandment 5 of my happiness project.

I have finished my twelve commandments for my happiness project and right now I am thinking about resolutions. I think I have been shying away making resolutions because I am afraid that I won’t keep them. I think that is probably not a feeling unique to myself.

On a sobering note, be very cautious at ATMs and ABMs. If you must use them at all, try to use the ones at the bank, preferably the ones that are actually inside the bank. Keep a separate account that you do not have a debit card for in case your money gets stolen due to debit card fraud and keep tabs on your account so you can detect any irregularities as soon as they occur so you can put a stop on your account.

It used to be that you needed to keep your PIN safe. Now I have learnt that the thieves do not need your PIN to access your account. The information on the magnetic strip of your debit card is copied and placed on another card with a magnetic strip and then the thieves create their own PIN for this fraudulent card. Based on a recent occurrence where a friend not only had money removed from his account, but the fraudulent card was used to make a purchase using a POS machine, I have a few questions. One, this would mean that either the card being used is an actual debit card from a bank, two that if it isn’t there is one of two scenarios, that the thieves have made a card to look like one of the debit cards from the bank or that the thieves are in collusion with the store or someone at the store where the purchase was made.

I am not the Police and I will leave them to do their investigation. I will, however, take to task the fact that not enough is being done to educate the population of that fact that this is happening and how to protect themselves. Also, if the cards are so easily defrauded, why haven’t the banks either improved the security of the cards themselves or the ATMs/ABMs? Do the banks ensure that the security cameras are working at all times? If a customer reports that he has been defrauded and suspects that it occurred at a particular ABM/ATM, does the bank check the ATM/ABM? Are signs posted to indicate that the ATM/ABM has been used to defraud someone or that the camera is not working so the public can make an informed choice whether to utilize it or not?

So here’s a lesson (in case you have not learnt it as yet) the banks do not care about YOU, they only care about PROFITS and if that means screwing you over then so be it. Also the so called customer care (especially and possibly only the 24 hour phone service personnel) is staffed by robots who just regurgitate what they are taught to say in training which basically comes out to be – “I really cannot help you” at the time you need them the most because you would not be calling if it was during opening hours at the bank and you could pop in get what you needed done.