Clearly these things are sent to test us. I was in the process of making a rare shopping visit into the city tonight. I thought I’d pick up a few things to enhance my event management consultant image. Some damaged ripped jeans, and a trendy shirt or two.

Sort of the deconstructed elegant look. What a former flatmate (who is a fashion photographer by the way), calls the classic look. Hmm.

Not to mention the 25 per cent discount on underwear being offered by a leading department store as well.

wOOt!

Break out the plastic, I’m going shopping for the first time since 2003!! Well, ok, I tell a lie, it hasn’t been that long since I indulged in a little retail therapy, but I’m certainly not into the shop till you drop lifestyle.

My plans to get fantastic with the plastic, however, were disrupted by a mobile phone call from my bank. A call from my bank’s fraud department no less. They apologised for calling so late in the day, but they wanted me to know they had just placed a BLOCK on my credit card!

It seems some dodgy “company” in the US had placed a one cent tester transaction through the credit card. A company I, of course, have never heard of. It is, apparently, standard procedure for these types. The fraudsters attempt to make a small debit to a credit card account, and if that succeeds, then they go crazy, making withdrawals until the credit card’s limit is reached.

Thankfully my credit limit is not extensive (fraudsters take note) so they would not have extracted a great deal from my account anyway. Thanks to the vigilant bank staff though, they didn’t even collect one cent. And now that my account has been BLOCKED they won’t even get, well, a nickel out of me.

All well and good. The only problem being this weekend is a holiday weekend. My credit card is blocked, so it will be a rather quiet long weekend by the looks of things. A replacement card and account will not be issued until next Friday. A week away.

Just as well I’m no shopaholic. Though I’m ruing missing out on that 25 per cent discount on underwear. That offer expires tomorrow night!

Bah!