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Thirteen Ways to Feel About a Stranger Named Bob Hacking My Debit Card and Spending $300

Lauren Bromberg

 

  1. Confused. Why do my bank statements say I spent $300 on Amazon purchases?
  2. Concerned. I need to call Amazon and my bank to ask what these purchases are.
  3. Lazy. I’ll just call Amazon and my bank in a few days.
  4. Forgetful.
  5. Alert. Oh my gosh, it’s been nine months and I forgot to call Amazon and my bank! I’ll call right now.
  6. Pissed off. Some stranger named Bob used my debit card number to buy $300 worth of stuff! Who does this Bob guy think he is?
  7. Tardy. Uh oh. I postponed calling the bank for nine months. I think it’s too late to file a dispute with the bank to get my $300 back.
  8. Remorseful. I should never have gotten a debit card. Mom and Dad told me years ago that debit cards are not secure! People make fraudulent purchases on others’ debit cards all the time.
  9. Jealous. Bob is actually so smart. He knows how to hack people’s debit cards. I wish I knew how to hack people’s debit cards.
  10. Generous. You know what? Maybe this Bob guy needed $300 more than I did. I hope he bought something nice with my money.
  11. Guilty. The money I lost wasn’t money I earned. It was money my family members generously gave me for birthdays and holidays.
  12. Hopeful. Maybe it’s not too late for the bank to give me $300 back?
  13. Appreciative. The bank is giving me $300 back. Thanks, TD! I am never going to let this happen again.

Lauren Bromberg is a student in the Honors College at Rutgers University. She will be graduating in 2024. She is most likely going to major in Political Science. Lauren is from Rockaway, New Jersey. She is a very creative person, as she loves singing, dancing, acting, drawing, and writing songs and poems.

Lauren wrote this piece in Paul Blaney’s Introduction to Creative Writing course during the spring 2021 semester. Blaney selected the piece for publication in WHR!