I received this in an email today. Will we *ever* be safe? ;o) Dear Cardmember , Recently, Citi was notified of a system breach at Epsilon, a third-party vendor that provides marketing services to a number of companies, including Citi. The information obtained was limited to the customer name and email address of some credit card customers. No account information or other information was compromised and therefore there is no reason to re-issue a new card. Because e-mail addresses can be used for "phishing" attacks, we want to remind our customers of the following: Citi Cards uses an Email Security Zone in all of our email to help you recognize that the email was sent by us. Customers should check the Email Security Zone to verify that the email you received is from Citi and reduce the risk of personal information being "phished." To help you recognize that the email was sent by Citi we will always include the following in the Email Security Zone in the top headline portion of all our emails: Your first name and last name Last four digits of your Citi card account number And recently to increase security, we have added your âÂÂmember sinceâ date located on the front of your card, where available. More information about phishing is available here: learn more Important steps that you can take to protect your security online: Don't provide your Online User ID or password in an e-mail. Don't reply to e-mails that require you to enter personal information directly into an e-mail or URL. Don't reply to or follow links in e-mails threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing any personal information. We may send you an email regarding your account requesting you contact us via phone. It is not recommended to use your e-mail address as a login ID or password. If you suspect that youâÂÂve received a fraudulent e-mail message, please forward it to us. Forward suspicious e-mails to: spoof@citicorp.com If you have any questions or concerns about emails that you may receive that look suspicious, we encourage you to contact Citi Customer Service at the phone number on the back of your card.

I had a bunch of credit cards opened in my name some years ago. I had rental property and had a Centruy 21 agent manage it for me. Apparently, since the mortgage statement went to that office, so did a bunch of those free offers for credit cards. The receptionist opened the accounts got the cards, and just kept paying the minimum payments on the cards. It went on for over a year and was only discovered when she went away on her honeymoon and my agent started opening the mail with my name on it--a bunch of Visa bills with over $20,000 total charges! This girl had charged her whole wedding and honeymoon in my name! The hardest part was cancelling the cards--when I called Visa they wouldn't believe I was me because the girl had given them _her_ mother's maiden name, information of course that I could not supply! It was pretty stupid, really, she thought she would never be caught, said she every intention of paying off the cards eventually. Stupid criminal. Stupid credit card companies. We all paid for that one. And yes, I do check my credit report now!

I had a Sears card many years ago, didn't use it. A year ago last Fall, I bought a freezer and to get an additional discount + sale price, signed up for and put the freezer on a new card that day (they said the old card no longer valid). I was surprised to find myself with another MasterCard, not a Sears card. Paid the bill in full when it arrived, and just before the holidays a few weeks ago I called and asked them to cancel the card, I kept getting mailings, offers, and there was very little chance I would ever use the card. I have one for business, one household, and one I keep in my desk for online orders, booking reservations, more than enough. They argued slightly, then agreed to cancel the card for me.

You all were so warm and understanding last year, I can finally catch a breath to give an update. DS: Shortly after I posted last, in January, DS18 had a ruptured appendix. After a week (and his birthday, so now DS19) in the hospital, several weeks at home with drains and antibiotics, the appendix was finally removed just before Easter. (We are so glad he was HOME when it happened!) In the meantime, he took an online course at our community college, did a two-month intensive day program for anxiety, got his driving learner's permit again and is driving, even on the highway, is taking 2 on-campus courses at the community college for the summer, and got re admitted to his 4-year college. Not out of the woods yet, but we are all able to talk about it. Still debating whether he will actually return to the school in August. (I had another thread about this, ranting about the insurance. They came through for the surgery and for the outpatient program pretty well. Thank goodness.) My Mom: Shortly after DS came home from the hospital with his drains, my mom (94, Arthritis, Parkinson's, and dementia) was hospitalized for a week with the flu in early February. They recommended rehab and recuperation before heading home, so she went to the same facility as my dad. She did so well, she stayed, and recently joined the memory-care unit there, where she is fairly content as she has her "things": furniture, some art, photos, a routine, trained staff, and more movement. My Dad: Dad (92, hemorrhagic stroke last August) is doing well, cognitively, and is pretty healthy and able, except can't walk unassisted or assist in transfers. He gets restorative therapy several times a week. He needs to get out of there to a place where he can have physical assistance and medical care, but otherwise manage his life, and have more appropriate social and mental stimulation. He's going stir crazy! So that's our next project, alongside overseeing DS' stuff. Me: I no longer plan anything, because Murphy's Law is sure to take effect! Dedtired, I hope all is well. Eld, in our family counseling sessions I asked DS the same thing your kid's counselor did: Do you want to go to college? He said yes. I think he likes going to class, then heading back home where he can decompress. He's going to ask for a single room when he goes back to college. Otherwise, well, there's a good liberal arts college just 1.5 miles from our house, I'd be happy if he went there. I'm fine with the trades! My brother is a fine photo processor, which is a skill going by the wayside as far as job opportunities go. My BIL was an auto mechanic, then got his teaching certificate in his 40s and taught small engine repair, which morphed into teaching computer technology. DS is a mathematician. That's just him. Robo, pictures of Em are the best medicine! (Don't you love how one minute they are like little boys, and the next your wee little love-muffin?) Rita and Pinkmountain and all you GW Conversation folks filled my heart last year and this, and I appreciate each and every one of you! And Pinkmountain, wishing you well with the wedding!