h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Little by little, my ability to do online banking and bill payment is being thwarted

Today I found that my online account with my electric utility no longer works. My username and password have been wiped form the system. Good thing I had a phone number, so I could request that paper bills be mailed to me.

I had a secure web address for my principal bank account but that is down (temporarily, or for good? Don't know). Their regular, less secure website is up.

Time will tell whether my two credit card account statements will be mailed to me. (I receive emails, too, but there's a nasty virus in my computer that my antivirus can't find).

yesterday, a thirty-part file only had the first 12 items. I had put all thirty there, but 18 disappeared.

Files become frozen so I can't unlock them, then almost randomly they reopen.

I tried to set up an online account with my telephone company, but something blocked every password I tried-- even with the help of the nice lady at customer support.

I have customer service phone numbers for *everything*. Including the phone company itself Let's hope I still have phone service. Tis all keeps me off-balance.

I suspect cyber-theft of passwords, etc. To what end?: Identity theft? Credit card fraud? The perpetrator hasn't told me yet. Maybe someday a bill for a credit card that I never took out will arrive, and I will have to convince someone that I never applied for it. Or unwanted charges will appear on my two legitimate cards.

And, whoever is orchestrating this is probably reading this as well. Will I ultimately freeze in the dark? If you don't hear from me again, please remember that we used to have fun. Or, maybe I will continue here, and get more annoying...if that's possible.

The electric utility? I should have capitalized the password.

And now the secure website for the bank is back up.

I am paranoid, I guess. Is there a use for that?

nd three more websites that I couldn't get into before have turned out to be a question of my errors in using usernames and passwords.

I've changed a lot of passwords, all of them unique and interesting.

Things look good now. Who knows how they'll look in the morning, but I'll settle for a few hours of relaxation now.

Hi Paulh! Just want to wish you ongoing success with this. I also like you know suffer from anxiety, and worry a lot, often about things that eventually turn out to be no big issue. But at the time it feels really serious ... in a way I feel my life is threatened! And I dread the 'schlepp' that would be involved. A problem will demand time and energy from me, and I don't have much of those ...

Anyways ... do you have 'real life friends' close to you that can help you out IF there's a really serious problem?