I have just turned, or am about to become, 62. I can’t tell you exactly, because according to those adverts which are designed to worry us about cyber crime, information like that can help professional criminals steal my identity.
I’m not sure what sort of self-respecting professional fraudster wakes up in the morning with the desire to become a fat elderly man with creaky joints and a job as a shop assistant but you can’t be too careful these days. I would hate to get a letter from the bank telling me that I owed them money because someone has booked a holiday in the Maldives using a fraudulently obtained credit card in my name.
A Bear in an Apple Tree
They always seem to want a holiday. Whenever Julia has trouble with her card (the details of which, as far as we can tell, were hijacked from a supposedly secure retail site) the culprits always try to book themselves two weeks abroad. And the bank always declines the transaction because it’s so far away from our normal spending pattern. She has the minor inconvenience of being without a card for a few days after they cancel it, but that’s not a problem compared to the alternative.
I’ve done a few new pictures of the bear after the last lot didn’t want to show on the relevant post, photographed some blossom and watched a blue butterfly flit around the garden. It didn’t stay still long enough for a photograph. I assume it was a Holly Blue because it flew round the holly tree, and because they always seem to be Holly Blues in gardens.
Anyway, can’t stay long today because I’ve just had a badly-spelt email from the widow of an African politician. It seems that when he left office he inadvertently retained a bank account containing $15,000,000. She’s a generous lady and would like me to have half of it in return for allowing her to put the money in my account for a while. I’m not quite clear why this is necessary but I never was much good at high finance.
Sounds almost too good to be true…
A belated Happy Birthday, Simon.
🙂 Thank you.
🙂
Nice to see a photo of the bear – and to see blossom in the sunshine. I hope you enjoyed your birthday.
On the matter of credit card fraud, I’m sorry to hear that Julia has been subjected to such. I’m glad that the bank have protected her.
Yes, it was an enjoyable day thank you. The bank has been on the ball as far as the attempted frauds went, which is good to know.
Good!
Quite a few years ago now my card was cloned and used to buy a time-share in some holiday place I can’t remember. The bank’s fraud branch phoned me asking whether I had spent more than usual lately. As it happens I had just bought a TV. The conversation got on the wrong track for a while.
Yes, I can see that could be confusing. I hope it was all sorted out in the end. It’s nice to know that the bank was vigilant.
The bank covered it – not least, I imagine, since the withdrawals far exceeded both my transaction limit and the amount in my account.
Are you sure it wasn’t just because bankers are nice people with the good of their customers at heart? 🙂 🙂 🙂
Yes. Quite sure 🙂
The photos are beautiful, Quercus! And that is a very handsome bear, Julia!
Thank you. I will pass the compliment on. It amazes me that he was just a ball of wool this time last week. He may not be sophisticated, or symmetrical, but he does seem to have character. Or maybe I just need to get out more…
Happy birthday, whenever it is. Cute bear. I hope the fraudsters stay away.
Thank you. They seem to be staying away so far, though one or two have rung recently with various implausible stories.
Happy birthday young fellow. You have a lot of catching up to do before you attain real wisdom. I was glad to see that the bear has got his moment in the sun at last.
I had to go out to film Julia doing an exercise video for her group so I took the bear too. As for wisdom, this may be as good as it gets…
Happy belated birthday. Happy birthday. Happy future birthday
Thank you. 🙂
Congratulations on… something (just in case they listening) love the bear! 😀😀
Thank you. 🙂 He’s no Sooty, but last week he was just a ball of wool.
Happy, happy! Hope you find a way to have a nice little celebration. Takeout? And, of course, cake. Sweet photos of the bear, and the blossoms are lovely.
One of the neighbours brought a cake round, put it on the doorstep and conversed at a suitable distance. 🙂
How nice! Wonderful neighbor. Sure made me smile.
Yes, we have some good neighbours. 🙂