(ETA, Jan. 14th: Please see the bottom of the posting for an update.)

So I was expecting a payment into the joint account that Peter and I share, and logged into online banking to see if it had come in yet. And saw:

Available balance: 0.00

Uhh… No, not really possible. Something a little over 0.00, something a little under 0.00, sure. But this? No. Possibly a system hiccup of some kind. So I call the helpline and ask what’s going on.

And surprise! What do they find, but, between Tuesday and today, a number of transactions that aren’t mine. Road toll payments (when we don’t have a car: amusing). Movie tickets from a Dublin-area omniplex (when we haven’t left the house since last Friday: I’m still fighting with this sinus infection and haven’t been out a lot.) And then a transaction at a point-of-sale somewhere in Ireland that emptied out the account. (There wasn’t a vast amount in there right then… but it’s all gone now.)

W. T. F. My bank card has been skimmed. 

It’s toast now (thrown in the fire a few minutes ago, the compromised card frozen, a new one ordered over the phone). But so much for the bills that needed to be paid this week. 2012 had better start getting its act together, as this is not an auspicious beginning.

The bank will cover this expense when its fraud department has digested all the details. But meanwhile, the household is skint. So: if you feel inclined to spit in the eye of the nameless rogue(s) who’ve briefly ruined the domestic tranquility around here, I invite you you to go over to the Ebooks Direct store and buy something using the discount code DDGOTSKIMMED, which will give you 20% off whatever you buy. If you feel inclined to reblog or (if you saw this on Twitter) RT this, it’d be appreciated.

(mutter) Miscreants.

ETA: Just very briefly, wanted to send everybody who’s shared this, or responded to it, a most heartfelt THANK YOU. The response has been utterly astonishing, and the immediate problem has been well and truly handled. :)

I’ll be putting up a much more comprehensive thank-you on my blog later today or tomorrow — but just wanted to let everybody know quickly that things are now looking way up. I’ll also keep people posted, as this continues unfolding, as regards how things go with our bank.

Once again, friends, thanks so much.

We now return you to your previously scheduled reblogs, animated gifs, phonecam shots, and associated blather. :)