What happens when someone steals your credit card number and tries to use it? As a Credit Union employee (Hi, I’m Lora!) I’ve explained how our credit card fraud protection system works, but never really experienced it. That is, until Saturday morning when our Credit Card Fraud Department called me wanting to know if I had authorized anyone else to use my card and if it was in my possession. Apparently someone had tried to use my card number Friday afternoon at a Wal-Mart in California, just an hour after I had purchased my lunch with it in Ann Arbor.

I immediately cancelled the card and, though I’m inconveniently without one for the next 7-10 days, I feel better knowing that the system actually works. Even with my often erratic card use the Fraud Department caught this one immediately. It’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind when I’m feeling annoyed at having to call MidWest Financial (or walk across the hall as the case may be) and let them know what my travel plans are to ensure that my card will work.

I have another card with another bank, same erratic spending patterns. I’ve never heard from their fraud department. And that’s not to say there hasn’t been the possibility of fraud. So I’ll continue to pull the MidWest Financial card out of my wallet—‘cause I know someone’s got my back.