and the moral of the story is . . . open your junk mail!

I'm a big believer in online bill paying. It's so much simpler than writing a check, buying a stamp, and relying on the good old USPS to get the payments there on time. If I could pay my rent and utility bills online, I would . . . those are the only two checks I regularly write.

This morning, I remembered that it was time to pay my credit card bill. This credit card is from one of the major credit card companies, and I actually have two cards from them--one I use regularly, and one that I've never used. (I applied for it at Universal Studios to get the free bag they were offering. I meant to close it, but I just never got around to it.) When I logged in to my account this morning, though, I saw that I had three cards listed! Everything I've ever heard about identity theft started running through my head . . . closely followed by the jingle on the freecreditreport.com ads. I searched the credit card company's website for info on closing accounts, but of course, I couldn't find it. I couldn't find information on when any of the cards were opened, either. I did find out that the mailing address listed for all three cards was my real address.

As soon as I got home, I began searching through my junk mail to see if a credit card had arrived and I'd just missed it. It wouldn't be that surprising, really, considering I rarely read my junk mail. It either goes directly into the trash or onto the table for future opening. I didn't find a card, but I did find . . . a letter from my credit card company informing me that the Universal card could no longer be used after June 30 and they would be sending me a new card with a new account number. During the transition period, both accounts are technically open. Whew! As soon as the new card comes, I'm closing the account.