Spoiler alert: not great!
The feeling still gives me chills.
Thankfully, I came out of both situations financially whole.
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That makes me one of the lucky ones, but it hasn’t reduced myhypervigilance.
If you’ve been thereand there are millions of us who haveyou know exactly what I mean.
Fraud anxiety doesn’t fade easily.
I Spent $500 on WHAT?
I was disappointed, naturally, because who likes to berejected?
but I was also very surprised since I never applied for the card in the first place.
Within days, I received bills for new shoes from Macy’s and some electronics from Best Buy.
Ineverbuy stuff for myself; how dare some thief make it look like I was buying stuff for myself.
Could they steal my tax refund?
Get a passport in my name?
Access my bank accounts?
As if having thousands of dollars in legitimatestudent debtwasn’t stressful enough.
It even makes you feel guilty.
My data got out theresomehow, soit must have been my fault, right?
It’s impossible not to feel that way, no matter how unfair or inaccurate it is.
So how did I feel in the wake of having my identity stolen?
There was a phone number to call the security departmentso helpful!
Did I mention I havephone anxiety?
Yeah…not ideal.
Alas, I promised two victimizations.
If you’re like me, you think “Oh, I am too smart for that.
The whole identify theft thing was just someone getting their hands on my data.
ButnowI am strong and vigilant.”
Fast forward to the Friday before our Monday closing, and guess whatI was just barely vigilant.
Then I was asked to confirm the total of our down payment which I, um, did.
My heart raced, my face burned, my vision blurred.
I’ve never felt more helpless.
Because it’s not just reliefthere are also intense feelings of vulnerability, fear, and shame.
