It was three hours of slow torture as I waited in a queue to get into my bank to pick up a credit card last week.
But this was not the worst of it, my tale of woe started a few weeks ago, hence the reason for a physical visit to the bank which I hadn’t done in years.
I was on a legitimate website conducting research for a story when a pop up screen advertised a competition to win a cellphone, usually I ignore these as I know they are scams. But on that day I threw caution to the wind and entered the so-called competition – I mean why would I need another cellphone.
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The situation only got worse as I got myself deeper into trouble. After I had ‘won’ the cellphone, I had to pay a R40 delivery fee (alarm bells rang loudly but I ignored it). I used my credit card to pay, but instead a payment for R29 went to an electronics company in the UK for a subscription, and I became very suspicious.
I then received an email from the same company that I could unsubscribe which I subsequently did – and that I had three days to do so. The company also sent in log-in details and a password which I also found strange, usually you set your own.
But when I unsubscribed it stated it was pending, which I also had doubts about. I mentally kicked myself many times over, but it was too late, I had to bear the consequences.
Having thought I had unsubscribed, I was shocked when a further R305 went off my credit card – and on a Sunday too. I had no choice but to contact the bank’s fraud hotline to stop my card.
The bank stopped my card, thankfully payment didn’t go through. Furthermore, I emailed details of the issue to the bank and a case of fraud was logged.
Then I got angry and emailed the company about the subscription, surprisingly I received a reply which stated that I had not unsubscribed within the specified three days, and that they had done it for me (more alarm bells).
I then learned the subscription was for every two weeks, to purchase electronics goods at reduced prices. This was reason enough to stop the card and I realised that I should have listened to my inner voice of caution to avoid all this drama.
The bank issued a new card and I had to pay R140 – a lot cheaper in the long run I thought. Also, the fraud case was finalised and I received a refund. But the inconvenience for one little mistake.
I also continued to receive SMSes and emails about claiming my prize which I ignored, I was not about to get scammed a second time. I escaped relatively unscathed, but all that energy and time wasted on something that could have been avoided in the first place – I have now more than learnt my lesson.
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