So for those of you who are participating in “Lentil Season” you know that I had a strange charge on my Amex yesterday. But first, I encourage you to all check out the Lentil Season post, it’s never too late to join us. The jist of it is we are all trying to motivate each other to make one small change in our behavior at this time for our well-being. Whatever that means to you. Today is day two of the 46 day plan. Nothing is too small and it’s not about religion. We all have religious beliefs from atheist to the more devout. It’s fun (or annoying about 23 days in lol) and I think we all need it right now. This year we are focused on small changes because we have really lost enough without giving up more.
PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR CREDIT CARD BILLS
Anyway, back to me, lol. So, my Amex card sends me an alert if my card is used without my presence. Yesterday morning (whatever my morning was) I woke up to $44.05 on my AMEX that I did not recall making. But you know, it’s me. I’ve been sort of freaking out about because my arms and hand have “old people skin) that randomly got very old and thin and weirdly wrinkly kind of over night. And they bleed a lot. It’s been kind of scary but everyone just tells me to moisturize. So I thought I woke up in the middle of the night as old people do, to pee and thought I needed to order more lotions and potions. So I decided to wait to see what I got. I also need water so I thought maybe I was thristy and ordered that.
But the thing is I don’t order much from Amazon. So how would I have done that while asleep or drunk? But I just decided to wait to see what dumb shit I had ordered.
FRAUD ON AMAZON
Then today I woke up to three more orders from Amazon. NOPE. Another $160 bucks or so. Just like a lot of people, I’m being very tight with my money. Views are down here due to my basic inability to function at the level I used to. As well as me professing my poltical views especially on Twitter. I knew that I fell asleep early last night (for me at least, and these charges were NOT made by me). I became anxious.
Eventually, to make a long story even longer, I called Amazon and they said that someone had been making the charges since at least January. The main reason I wanted to share all of this with you was first to warn you to check your credit card bills. It is very important. And secondly, I wanted to tell you what they bought.
CAT LADIES
The first thing they noticed, and it has gone to the fraud team both on Amazon and Amex and she will be prosecuted was, “a kitchen utensil” which was delivered. I think that was about $20. The next thing was a product for her cat. Then I started laughing hysterically. The cat ladies strike again! I forget how much that was. The third thing was some sort of “playground toy” I was speaking to a man at that point so… I’m wondering lol. And finally, some sort of home theater camera? For like $65.
Then I started to feel a bit sorry for the idiot. They are now being hit with fraud charges from both AMEX and Amazon. For what? Some kitchen utensil , a cat toy, a toy for a kid and a camera? Then they said there was something else they bought in January. So they are probably in a whole heap of trouble.
I am not responsible for any of the charges. They apparently used their own email address somehow and clearly had it delivered to their home. My question is how did they get the number on my card when I literally have left my house maybe three times in that span of time? When I asked Amex they said there are hackers blah blah that spend their time trying to do these things. Um, to buy cat toys and kitchen utensils? It makes no sense. To be clear I AM NOT BLAMING THE CAT LADIES. THERE IS NO WAY THEY HAD ACCESS TO MY CARD. I just thought the cat toy thing was funny. PS The cat got his toy I think and the thief got her kitchen utensil. And whatever they ordered in January. But the playground toy and the camera will not be coming. Instead it’s going to be a warrant. And that makes me sad.
The people on this site have been BEYOND generous when I mentioned the lawn kid (I should update on that at some point). I literally had to beg you guys to stop sending stuff. We would have helped her maybe but these see to be wants not needs. But it sounds like a woman with a kid and a cat . And now she is facing charges.
So HERE IS THE RAINBOW
So, as most of you know, I am a nasty, dirty, horrible person who smokes. I smoke a particular kind of cigarettes that are basically half cigarettes and I was doing that to cut down but I just smoke twice as many cigarettes unfortunately. So, I buy them at a local business that is basically a cigarette and alcohol shop with (illegal?) gambling machines. I spend a lot of money there. And it was the day I needed to go to spend a lot of money because of the pandemic I buy several cartons at a time. I also bought some beer. But because I didn’t want to flash that much cash in there, (new card is coming) I bought some beer and one carton and took enough cash for that.
When I pulled up it was raining a little bit and there was a man with a bicycle and a bunch of things in plastic bags using the roof to smoke a cigarette and stay out of the rain. I was able to give him… I dunno, either about $17 or $27 ( I hope it was the later) dollars and some change. The weather has been shit here. He was very skinny. I kind of want to go back. But I came home and drank some beer after being so stressy bout the card thing.
My point, and I did have one on is, I feel like God put me in that place at that time to help that person. And I do feel bad for the cat lady.
Also I am praying for everyone in Texas if you can hear me, and I am sorry your senator thought this would be a good time to fly to Mexico for a vacation. If I could I would help everyone. Oh and when I got in to the car my radio was playing a song about “better angels” that I have never heard before. Something about finding our better angels. So … I felt heard by God. Sorry for all the religious stuff. I’m kinda half agnostic half Baptist but 100 percent for helping others.
So if you have the means and opportunity, please help someone today. I hope I have inspired you because there are people in really bad places and alone right now. I am so grateful for a roof over my head and dry place to sleep.
In spite of what you say, I think you are a good person Tamara.
Totally a good person.
I third that!!!
meh. I don’t think I am a horrible person or a good person. Just someone who does the best I can. I live in a bad hood. So I struggle between doing too much and making myself a target and not doing enough. There are two stores in my hood one is more for smokes and the other is more for beer. There is a huge homeless community here. It’s both hard to give because then people knock on your door. And hard not to give because, FUCK IT HAS BEEN RAINING FOR DAYS UPON DAYS. There is sleet. I have not been doing well because I won’t leave my house in all of that. MY NICE WARM HOUSE that I sometimes whine about because I am trying to save money and make sure I am not a bag lady. A BAG LADY. That is my greatest fear.
Then this guy… let. me stop. I really hope I see him again. I think we should all help each other. And I like helping people who do not ask. Not that I don’t give to those really old ladies sitting in front of places in Paris that tourists go and everyone tells me I am stupid for falling for it. Anyway I am all in my feels and day drinking. The sun is coming out now and I hope he finds a way to get some food. He had a bicycle and lots of bags. He can’t go through the drive through. How does he get food? He has to leave the bike outside wherever he goes.
I guess he probably went in the smoke shop which is kind of off the beaten path or the Subway next door. Where will he sleep tonight? It’s been super cold here until today. I was just shook by so many things today.
I’ll be back to normal bitch mode soon. So fuck off.
You have a good heart TT. I have to say don’t feel bad for the cat person. They knew what they were doing. Often I’m told the charges start out small as the thief tests to see if what they are charging is noticed. The less it’s noticed the bigger the charges become.
Some people steal because of necessity – others steal out of need. A cat toy, kitchen utensil or a camera are not needs – they are wants. You have done the right thing so rest easy
I too am not what I would call religious but I believe in angels and signs from those who have gone before us ♥
Yes, Staceycris, in spite of me being a staunch atheist from childhood my late husband came back to me, as requested & promised (in a dream) a few days after he died 10 years ago. In 45 years of marriage I never remembered dreaming about him, but there he was, & it was lovely & it was perfect closure, & sometime not today (getting ready for an early pre-op appt tomorrow) I will write about it.
Hi MizGrandma!!!!!!!!
Hope everything turns out well for you!
Be safe!
So happy you got that!! My hubs passed 5 years ago – I have felt someone sitting on my bed at night and my sense is it’s him – hasn’t visited in a dream tho 🙁 Maybe one day lol
Good luck with your op!!
I’m so happy you got that!! My hubs passed 5yrs ago. I have felt someone sitting by my feet in the night and I suspect it’s him but no visits in my dreams 🙁 maybe one day
Good Luck on your op!!
My boyfriend died a year ago tomorrow..and I just want you to know these posts make me feel some kind of.. comfort? or something…i don’t really have words.. but thank you for sharing.. because it’s a sad club to belong to, but I’m just… I just appreciate you sharing and i don’t usually comment, but I wanted to thank you.
Lauren, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you will comment more, you are more than welcome here. We have some very wise people here.
I was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran, despite my parents being Jewish. We’d listen to Jackie Mason on the way to the church. Then I didn’t go for years, then I tried out a methodist church – didn’t like it. Tried on of those gigantic non-denominational ones, didn’t like that. Tried a Baptist church and loved the pastor’s sermons but they were always begging for $ despite having a huge campus so I left and now just don’t go anywhere. I listen to different ones on the radio now. Oh well, meanwhile TT, I do the same thing. When restaurants were open and I’d see a family who looked down on their luck, I’d pay for their meal ON THE SLY. I don’t like anyone knowing what I do like that. But it does feel so good you want to do it again just for that feeling. Is that an addiction? I am joking when I say this, but I am a cat lady with a husband who has brought home 13 cats over the past 25 years. At one point, we had 10 cats at one time. And he does nothing to help. He walks by shelters and brings one home, or at the pet store he’d see one in a cage. I only brought one home. Bob. The deaf cat. One we found tied up to a fence post near us. One had burned paws. We are down to 6 now and that’s still a LOT OF CATS! I love all of them tho. They are all rescues but I AM A cat lady and I have never once charged something on someone’s amazon account!!! HA HA HA. Not funny when it happens to you tho. it’s stealing and it’s not right.
AWWW, I am a cat lady sort of. I had 6 cats for a while but when my boyfriend and I broke up he took 2, then I moved to a better neighborhood where people donlt just abandon their pets, and they all died of old age eventually. Now I have 2, I am going to get at least one more, probably 2. I love cats, they make me happy.
Just to clarify, around these parts there was sort of a weird UPRISING amongst long time commenters who were deemed THE CAT LADIES. I’m not even sure why but I a DOG person and we just sort of went with it. There was on in particular who had a cat avatar so that is probably why. She was always talking about have two tacos to last her an entire week and such. So being the stupidly kind people we are around here everyone was emailing me asking if they could buy her food. I was going in for surgery the next day and I had been reaching out to her because she said she couldn’t watch the shows she was recapping because she couldn’t afford cable.
So I reached out got her information and attempted to pay off her cable debt so she could have TV. She was several hundred dollars in arrears and the person I spoke with said that Time Warner or… I forget some big conglomerate was buying out her company and in a month or so she should be able to start new service and I’d just be throwing money away.
She was very weird. I’d offer to PayPal her some cash so she could have like four tacos a week. lol. Anyway, when I came home for hospital, there had been some sort of weird uprising. It was like Arab Spring on the site. Apparently I was secretly boiling babies and everyone was sending me money and just a whole lot of nonsense.
So around these parts when we say THE CAT LADIES we are referring to THOSE PEOPLE and are not in fact anti cat. 🙂
I’m super late commenting on this, but, TT, thanks for the explanation. I’ve had my butt burned here a couple of times when people made bad comments about a “cat lady”. I thought they were referring to me, cuz, “Kat” (well, I think one actually was for me, but that’s to be expected sometimes :)). Belladonna was kind enough to let me know in one instance it was not me. Your explanation makes it much clearer. I’m so sorry that happened to you- you don’t deserve shit like that…
I’m a little disappointed the cat ladies aren’t back. Or did they ever really leave?
Good question. Quietly lurking in the background
Personally I always thought naa just quietly had his people kill them all. So, good to know they are all alive? lol.
The weirdest thing to me is what they bought. Petty shit. Maybe a pancake turner?
the weirdest thing to me was that the guy in India would not tell me exactly what was purchased on my own card. It was like, a kitchen object, a home entertainment , item…. and when he said a pet product I thought well maybe that one was me, so I asked if it was for a dog and he said no and later said it was for a cat. It was like pulling teeth. Also shit happens late at night so I thought they might be from another country.
Nope someone on the west coast. I’m looking at you Nanette. lol J/K
Someone is going to steal someone identity and use it buy things always starts out small. I had a gum pack buying person…a pack of gum a week on my credit card…took me honestly a long tile to notice the 1.35 charges.
I agree with jojersey. Thief’s start out small to see if they have been detected and then WHAM. Also, be careful of ordering any products from sites on Facebook. I purchased moisturizer and when I received it in the mail, I knew it wasn’t authentic by the packaging. I called Visa and had charges dealt with. In 3 days they had charged me 3 times. I called them on the phone, after they were trying to give me the run around and I told them I was reporting them to Sec. of State, they made sure not to charge me anymore. Anytime I saw their ad, I would warn folks that it was a scam. Eventually they were removed from FB. Sorry for rambling. Don’t post often, but love Tamara.
Thanks Lynn.
Totally agree about not buying from Facebook ads. I was ripped off twice doing that since the pandemic began. Really disheartening. I’m trying to be smarter about my impulse buys. I did fight one company that was trying to rip me off and got great satisfaction from telling them I was reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. I eventually came out ahead on that one.
THIS sentence, TT, spoke to me loudly: “So I struggle between doing too much and making myself a target and not doing enough.” I lived in the heart of San Francisco for 10 years before moving about 25 miles south, and I vacillated between giving money to everyone I saw who needed it and not seeing the suffering at all. I didn’t like me in either mode. I moved to avoid the awful rush hour commute to work in both directions, but not having unhoused people camp out on my doorstep was a positive too. My heart hurt too much for all of them.
I cannot believe they are still at it! My word they were so mean and nasty and took all their toys and ran away …stay away. I just can’t even with people who cannot let things go and learn and move on to a better place.
I am glad you are still standing and they are jealous because their attempts at doing THIS didn’t seem to pan out.
You are not a horrible person and you are not a bad person. You have helped people every time that you could.
I made a small donation to Texas and hope to do more. My heart breaks for them. That would be freezing for us NE pros but they are Ice and Snow Virgins and this is terrible to endure. I wish I could send a plane down there with all kinds of stuff. Maybe Bethanny will help.
cxoxoxox
My power came back on today after 4 days here in San Antonio. In trying to be optimistic that it will stay on. Its been snowing all day but luckily its 25 degrees not the single digits with no heat. TT don’t feel bad about the thief with your AMEX card. I doubt you were the first one she did it to so you are helping prevent more thefts
Lisa I am so sorry for what you are going through. I wish I knew how to help. This seems to be one of those things that money can’t fix. I am so glad to hear you have power and are back here. I’m going to donate to World Central Kitchen again. They are feeding people AGAIN in this country. It’s an embarrassment to this country how often that is necessary.
Sunday Hare, I was making a JOKE about it being the cat ladies. I doubt it had anything to do with them. It was just funny that my thief bought a cat toy… oh nevermind…. LE SIGH
Girl, you know I love you!
That is some weird as shit stuff to buy. I’m going back to look at my amazon charges. I had someone use my credit card yesterday evening – and they email bombed me at the same time. So at the same time I got my charge card alert, they sent me about 600-700 emails signing me up for email lists around the world. They were trying to “bury” the charge alert under all the spam. It was a very weird experience and I guess I’m gonna have to change my email. They bought a computer at Best Buy online with my card – so I guess they were investing in their business. The ordered got canceled today
I ordered German nivea because of you! That was my tipsy buy! Now what do I do with it? I’m so easily led astray. LOL!
Rub it all over your face and neck and let it sit there. EVERY DAY. It’s better than any American made product. Now I am moisturizing my old lady hands and arms with it because my skin is VANISHING and bleeding and strange. Just put the lotion in the basket and rub it all over yourself. And I thought I drunk bought it the other night. The first time I bought it, I bought a like pack of cans and have never run out. but I am on THE LAST TIN. LOL.
One Thanksgiving my brother and I were chatting and I said, “All I want for Christmas is German Nivea” and that’s what I got! And I was very appreciative. I haven’t bought it in a while and I don’t think it is that expensive.
FUCK this is going to be like the Black Box Merlot I haven’t been able to find in months. DO NOT BUY GERMAN NIVEA OR BLACK BOX MERLOT. It’s awful. PLEASE STOP BUYING IT.
or save some for me? 🙁
I will NEVER buy it again! Have never even heard of it!?
Fuck my life. My ads here are about old lady skin and cat clothes.
I AM NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP.
So the nightmare continues. I was in contact with Amex on Thursday night. They said they could fed ex me a new card by Friday. That seemed awfully fast. But it did not come and still has not come. I can’t check the delivery status because since the fool started accessing my account, I have not been able to use the Amex online page. It says the site is temporarily down. And has said that for weeks. Also they cancelled an order for some books I stupidly bought for the plumbers kid. Then I found out he was in private school. I had a memory lapse about how rich plumbers are.
I had a similar uplifting experience giving some small bills to a homeless/dog person.
My older brother chided me for it (he’s done that all my life).
#FLYINTHEOINTMENT…?
when I was just starting to be able to drive at around 16 or so, I stopped at an off ramp with a woman begging for money and gave her probably a dollar or something small. When I got home I told my mom and she told me that “those people” make more money than you do and it is all a scam. This was the beginning of her mocking me for giving to others. I used to buy clothes for my students even the ones in college. And feeding them lunch. They were at the HBCU religious college on some sort of scholarship and didn’t have any actual money. I’ve never regretted any of that.