4.32

One day I am going to write a book. This particular chapter shall be entitled "$4.32".

I got a text message this morning. It was from Bank of America--a courtesy alert that our savings account had a balance of $4.32.

I prayed for God's grace and poise, I really did. Instead I found myself shrieking and flailing around for the next 24 hours. Faith: fail.

In a nutshell, my debit card number was stolen. We don't know how. We don't know when. We don't know where. The card remained tucked away, safe and sound in my wallet. My number was sold/distributed across the southeast and within 24 hours, every PENNY, every single PENNY was taken from my accounts. My checking account is linked to our savings accounts. Our savings accounts are linked to my bank credit card. By the time I got the alert and signed on to our online banking page, it read: Checking Balance: $0.00, Savings Balance: $0.00.

The list of deductions was mind blowing. Within mere hours, the checking account was completely depleted. All debits took place at gas stations. Truck stops at that. They occurred simultaneously, across 4 states. When the checking account balance hit zero, funds were pulled from savings.

By the time I got myself off the floor from the fetal position, fluffed a new brown paper yack sack, and drove to our local BOA branch, the suckers had cleared another $400.

I prayed for more grace and poise. In it's place came snot rockets and blotchy face patches. You know the ones.

The people at the bank were ever so sweet. They reassured me that everything would work itself out. The BOA fraud department jumped on the bandwagon, cancelled/froze all accounts, and filed claims to have the money credited back (in 48 hours).

In the meantime, my new past time consists of watching additional fraudulent truck stop debits trickle in one by one. Apparently scam artists purchase a lot of pork rinds and no-doz.

And so, I sit and pray for grace and poise :)