Credit cards

I was just going out this morning when the phone rang.  As usual I let it ring and somebody started to leave a message so I picked it up.  Claimed they were Marks & Spencer's Bank and they were ringing about my credit card.  When I asked what it was about, the person at the other end was evasive.  When I asked if they were trying to sell me something, he wouldn't give a direct answer.  He said it would involve security questions but I pointed out that I didn't know it was really M&S phoning me.  He suggested that I phone back after my shopping trip to the number on the back of the card, and ask to be put through to card security.

When I got back I brought up my card balance on the net and I guessed that the problem was that a couple of days ago the deposit for the hotel in Dublin for Shamrokcon had gone through at about the same time I was buying a train ticket to London at Guildford station.  When I got through to the security department, that did at first appear to be the problem.  And then they asked if I had bought tickets at the National Theatre yesterday.  (I'm going to see the new play by Richard Bean next month.)  I thought that was the end of the matter, but then they dropped a shocker.  Had I tried to use my card at the Star Inn in America last night (about nine o'clock, but they didn't say our time or US time) for the odd amount of £4.02.  When I said no, they immediately said that there had been card fraud, the card was now stopped and a new card was due out in 7-10 days.  Annoyingly, I'm off to Germany for the weekend on Wednesday, but I do have alternative cards I can use.  (However, it would appear the attempt to use the card last night was refused, and I hadn't used it since yesterday morning.)