Monday, November 29, 2010

I've been a victim...

...OF IDENTITY THEFT!

YES...ME...seriously I work in the industry, I'm AWARE, I should KNOW better! But it still happened! It started Saturday night while I was sitting in my kitchen/studio (ya I have NO studio...just a kitchen) colouring away and the laptop spoke to me saying "you've got mail"...so I pop over and look to see if it was Pauline, Paula or Emily but NO...it was an email confirming my password change on ebay! HUH! I didn't request that. So I immediately change my ebay password, and my paypal, just to be safe.

So today while I am cooking dinner, I get another password change email, then a few seconds later I get an email change confirmation! AND THEN I get a truckload of nondeliverable email notifications. Something is WRONG! So I try to sign on to my ebay account and can't get in! YIKES...so I get on their security help chat and after a series of security checks I get a phone call from ebay! John informs me that in the last couple of months there has been a rash of web based email passwords that have been hacked and I am victim! He gets me set up again after verifying that I have changed my email, paypal, and ebay passwords. SO...word to the wise....if you have a password that hasn't been changed in a couple years, you just might want to do it now! The sad thing is, I have just been pondering changing my password over the last few weeks, but haven't found time to do it! DON'T ponder! JUST DO IT! Fortunately I caught it early and no transactions had taken place in my ebay or paypal accounts.

Okay...now that I have that out of my system I'll get on to the fun stuff....like a card! You ready? It is a Stamping Bella and this little sweetie is Mavis wearing holly. Purrrrrrrrrr! I just want to pick her up and give her kisses all over her head! Although if she is anything like Paula's cat Pebbles, she will be hiding under a chair and taking a swat at your leg as you walk by! LOL!!!! Now some people would hate a cat like that, but me, I kinda got a chuckle out of it! Gotta luv a sassy cat!



I started out by stamping her on bella's BESTEST paper and colouring her with copic markers, lots of small dots just like I did with teddy, but didn't want to do her entire body like that. So I just did my dots heavily around the perimeter and lightened up towards the center. Then I covered up my dots with prismacolor pencils to soften those dots some more and got just the look I was after! So pleased when it all works out for me!

Now the layout is another story! It didn't work out as planned and I actually had to rip it off carefully to salvage my image and start over! Hmph....it was NOT a good day! Thank god for wine!

Linda.

19 comments:

Ebru Vatansever said...

Linda, I am so sorry to hear what happened. I stopped reading your post the minute you said "STOP PONDERING and change your password". I jumped over to my paypal account and changed my password. Loosing my wallet and my financial account getting hacked are the two things that just terrifies me. I am so glad you were one of the fortunate ones.

Gorgeous card by the way, love the layout and the designer papers you used. This image is one of my favorites to. Sorry for the long post.
Thanks for sharing.

Stamps and Paper said...

Hi Linda, sorry to hear whats happended to you, I had a strange email supposed to be from EBAY a couple of weeks ago saying someone had used my account to try and buy something and would I confirm my passwords....this immediately rand alarm bells with me.. It's a good job we were both on the ball, there are some real 'scum bags' around aren't there?
But loved your card.

Anne

Cindy H. said...

I just love this card!! Your fabulous coloring is to be envied - and I do!!

I'm so sorry about the theft of your identity. It has not happened to me but it is my nightmare. Thanks for the tips:)

Archies Mum said...

Lovely card Linda, such a cute image and coloured in beautifully. How come things like that always seem to happen round about this time of year. Thanks for the tip off. At least you were lucky enough to nip it in the bud before someone started buying stuff in your name.

Becky said...

Thank you for sharing this with us this morning. Good info to know.

Your card is just adorable.

Unknown said...

Oh my! She is soo cute!

Hugs,
Renata

Denimo said...

Oh my... that really sucks!! No... not your card, that your identity was stolen!!! What a pain. Thanks for the warning!

This card is just scrumptious!! It made me smile. Thanks for that!!!

Dana White said...

Holy crap that's scary!! At least you were home to catch it all
Mavis is absolutely stunning my friend!!

Michelle Galloway said...

very pretty, love how you colour mavis....i'll have to try that! ANd Man idenity theft that's not fun....glad you got it straighted out!

Linda Carson said...

Beautiful coloring, absolutely beautiful!!

Yvonne F. said...

Wow, what a cutie!
Love the papers and your coloring too.

bye Yvonne

Pretty Paper Junkie said...

That's a neat little trick you did to make Mavis look all fuzzy. Pretty darn cute! I signed up for Lifelock. $99 a year.

Vina said...

What a horrible experience! I'm very sorry it's happened to you. As soon as I finished reading your story I popped over to my Ebay & changed my password. I'll be changing my email passwords too. I had a problem with someone stealing from my Paypal account last year which prompted me to sign up for their key passcode service. They mail you a little device that gives you a new code number for each time you log in..along with your regular password. I got it free due to the breach of security. No problems since..thank goodness.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us & for reminding us not to be complacent. You are saving others from being victims too. Big hugs!

CraftyViolet said...

Love the card - hate the scammers. I'm going over to ebay right now to change my password. I seldom use it but better be safe then sorry.

coldwaters2 said...

OMG Linda this is so beautiful I love that image and your colouring is superb I love it. Oooo not so nice to hear about the identity theft problem I hate that sort of thing must go and change my passwords thanks for the advice.
Hugs
Lorraine x

Maureen said...

So sorry about the ID theft, but good thing you caught it early! My hubby just had his email hacked, so I'll definitely be changing my passwords!

I also had to tell you how much I LOVE the coloring on this!! I could just sit here and stare at it for hours! You are definitely a coloring inspiration for me - thank you!!

Beth Norman-Roberts said...

I'm just getting home from vacation and am catching up on my e-mail subscriptions. I am so sorry that you were hacked. It's amazing that passwords can be figured out.

Your card is truly beautiful. As always, your colouring is impecible.

Michelle Woerner said...

First, this is just darling and your coloring is SPOT ON! Second, I am going right on over to Ebay and PayPal and changing my passwords. Thanks for the reminder and thank heavens nothing happened bad. Hugs,

paula tracy williamson said...

I have to say, this is a pretty freaking stunning cat. Like my baby girl, only not as sassy. Just be thankful you didn't have to file police reports and watch footage of the person who posed as you...charge up a bunch of phones. That was two months of crap for me.

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