Occam's Razor
A sense of the obvious and the use of "logical deduction" to analyze even the most irregular or unusual situations
...or of keeping all explanations at a "down-to-earth" level
I've had the same checking account at the same bank for 9 years now.
And with it a debit card which I've only used to withdraw cash money from the bank's ATM machines.
I've never used it to make any purchases with (i.e.: the same way one uses a credit card)
...just to withdraw money from the ATM's---and always the one's belonging to this bank at that.
...going on 9 years with no problems
...Until a month ago:
I recieved (in the mail) a new debit card with a new number along with a warning stating that my (old) card may "be at risk for fraud" and advising me to activate my new card as soon as possible further stating that my (old) one would automatically be deactivated by (such-and-such a date).
At the time I didn't think much of it, since---like I stated above---I've never used it for any other purpose than to withdraw minute amounts of cash from the bank's ATM's ($40; $80; $60---like so)
When my next bank statement came in I was shocked to find out someone somehow had succeeded in withdrawing over $200 from my account via an ATM (in Chicago---310 miles away)---and one not affiliated with this bank, a practice I never engage in as there's a small surcharge for using another bank's ATM.
Now, this is the only time a thing like this has ever happened to me, but I did notice one thing:
The date of the unauthorized withdrawal just happened to be the same day I recieved the notice with the replacement card...
...Coincidence?
Bear in mind that one needs to enter their PIN number after swiping their card in order to access their account
...and that number is a secret known only to the bearer of the account
...Presumably.
Okay, so my "missing money" has been reinstated to my account and I have a new debit card (which I recently decided NOT to use anymore due to afterthoughts on this matter---I now withdraw any money I need at the teller's window itself via withdrawal slip and state I.D. card)
...still---doesn't this incident seem rather ...creepy? ...questionable?
And what about a certain government social sevice agency who asked that I mail in certain critical documents to them (everything from copies of utility bills to copies of bank statements and rent receipts) by a certain date in order to determine if I "qualify" for continuation of certain benefits?
...After carefully packaging and double-checking before sending---to make sure I didn't overlook any of whatever they were asking for---they tell me that all they recieved from me was just the request form and the rent receipt (but nothing else).
Now, using one's worldly knowledge and sense of logic and reason, what could one deduct from those two above scenarios?
...without getting into any type of off-the-wall speculations involving such concepts as the metaphysical or "evil spirits" or the like...
...if one had to figure out stuff like this concretely---using pure logic and circumstantial analysis---what conclusions can one arrive at?
...perhaps a conspiracy of some kind?
...but WHY would anyone want to try to "do in" an obscure nobody like me, who's existence is so inconsequential to "the general scheme of everything"?
...I mean, if I was a THREAT of some kind...
A sense of the obvious and the use of "logical deduction" to analyze even the most irregular or unusual situations
...or of keeping all explanations at a "down-to-earth" level
I've had the same checking account at the same bank for 9 years now.
And with it a debit card which I've only used to withdraw cash money from the bank's ATM machines.
I've never used it to make any purchases with (i.e.: the same way one uses a credit card)
...just to withdraw money from the ATM's---and always the one's belonging to this bank at that.
...going on 9 years with no problems
...Until a month ago:
I recieved (in the mail) a new debit card with a new number along with a warning stating that my (old) card may "be at risk for fraud" and advising me to activate my new card as soon as possible further stating that my (old) one would automatically be deactivated by (such-and-such a date).
At the time I didn't think much of it, since---like I stated above---I've never used it for any other purpose than to withdraw minute amounts of cash from the bank's ATM's ($40; $80; $60---like so)
When my next bank statement came in I was shocked to find out someone somehow had succeeded in withdrawing over $200 from my account via an ATM (in Chicago---310 miles away)---and one not affiliated with this bank, a practice I never engage in as there's a small surcharge for using another bank's ATM.
Now, this is the only time a thing like this has ever happened to me, but I did notice one thing:
The date of the unauthorized withdrawal just happened to be the same day I recieved the notice with the replacement card...
...Coincidence?
Bear in mind that one needs to enter their PIN number after swiping their card in order to access their account
...and that number is a secret known only to the bearer of the account
...Presumably.
Okay, so my "missing money" has been reinstated to my account and I have a new debit card (which I recently decided NOT to use anymore due to afterthoughts on this matter---I now withdraw any money I need at the teller's window itself via withdrawal slip and state I.D. card)
...still---doesn't this incident seem rather ...creepy? ...questionable?
And what about a certain government social sevice agency who asked that I mail in certain critical documents to them (everything from copies of utility bills to copies of bank statements and rent receipts) by a certain date in order to determine if I "qualify" for continuation of certain benefits?
...After carefully packaging and double-checking before sending---to make sure I didn't overlook any of whatever they were asking for---they tell me that all they recieved from me was just the request form and the rent receipt (but nothing else).
Now, using one's worldly knowledge and sense of logic and reason, what could one deduct from those two above scenarios?
...without getting into any type of off-the-wall speculations involving such concepts as the metaphysical or "evil spirits" or the like...
...if one had to figure out stuff like this concretely---using pure logic and circumstantial analysis---what conclusions can one arrive at?
...perhaps a conspiracy of some kind?
...but WHY would anyone want to try to "do in" an obscure nobody like me, who's existence is so inconsequential to "the general scheme of everything"?
...I mean, if I was a THREAT of some kind...
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