The Very-Many-Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XLI

[Birdjaguar]

Seems my credit card data is somewhere out there, and someone tried to make a purchase, which was prevented due to 2-factor-authentification.
So... do I need to tell anything to my bank, should I get a new credit card, what is the normal reaction to this ?

You should report it to your bank if they are not aware of it. My CC bank, Bank of America, issues me a new card every time a successful fraud charge happens. Whenever they see a suspicious charge they text us. If it is Ok we approve. If not we let them know. They are pretty good at catching frauds and we haven't had a new card in while.

 

[The_J]

It wasn't succesful, and from the end of the month 2FA is mandatory here in France, but I guess I'll get a new one.
Although I'll do that tomorrow, after my weekly grocery shopping.

 

[Birdjaguar]

For us, the biggest obstacle to getting new cards is that we have to change all of our auto pay accounts. Otherwise new cards are fine.

 

[Samson]

I would definitely be buying food first.

 

[The_J]

I actually have also my German and Dutch debit card, so I could survive without the French one for a while...
And no recurring payments are done via the credit card info, so that's at least easy .

 

[Kyriakos]

Seems my credit card data is somewhere out there, and someone tried to make a purchase, which was prevented due to 2-factor-authentification.
So... do I need to tell anything to my bank, should I get a new credit card, what is the normal reaction to this ?

Meanwhile, here I went to the bank to ask something about web-banking, and they told me I can do what I want to in 20 days (by going to the bank again then).
It's this kind of smooth and clockwork-running operation which prevented issues, and it was a good idea to force bank-run 2 step validation of e-commerce in the middle of a pandemic.

Fortunately, there are always ways to bypass this (hopefully I already have), but I did feel disgusted again.

 

[The_J]

The 2FA should be online. Doing that in person sure has issues for online banking.

Earlier today I got a text about that I should call the bank about another fraudulent transaction. I didn't, because I'd probably get someone who can't speak English, and I assume they'll terminate the transaction if they can't get hold of me. 2h later they called me, didn't pick it up, due to the same reasons and because I was in a meeting. I've cancelled the card now.
It makes me also curious where they got the info from, since no vendor I bought something from online has reported a data breach .

 

[Birdjaguar]

The 2FA should be online. Doing that in person sure has issues for online banking.

Earlier today I got a text about that I should call the bank about another fraudulent transaction. I didn't, because I'd probably get someone who can't speak English, and I assume they'll terminate the transaction if they can't get hold of me. 2h later they called me, didn't pick it up, due to the same reasons and because I was in a meeting. I've cancelled the card now.
It makes me also curious where they got the info from, since no vendor I bought something from online has reported a data breach .

People get CC info all different ways. I'm sure company employees steal numbers from time to time. I'm sure not all data breaches are reported. CC companies also look at your buying patterns and look for purchases that are out of step. Pizza charges in Florida will generate a call/text to me unless I' have told them I will be Florida.

 

[really]

Two rounds of EU law kicked in over the past two years - first one requiring broadly that they know who their clients are required identity checks, the second is stronger authentication which is kicking in now.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

In the US, you can deduct mortgage interest from your taxes.

If you were to get a mortgage to buy a plot of land, but you don't build a house on that land right away, could you deduct the mortgage for the land on your taxes? Or could you only deduct the interest for the second later mortgage to finance building the house on the land?

 

[Birdjaguar]

In the US, you can deduct mortgage interest from your taxes.

If you were to get a mortgage to buy a plot of land, but you don't build a house on that land right away, could you deduct the mortgage for the land on your taxes? Or could you only deduct the interest for the second later mortgage to finance building the house on the land?

I am not a tax accountant, but as I recall, you cannot deduct payments on raw land. Construction costs once you start building a home might be. Raw land is an investment and not a home. The mortgage deduction applies to building, buying or improving a home.

The new tax law raised the personal deduction level quite a bit making itemizing much harder.

 

[Takhisis]

Raw land is an investment and not a home.

What if you actually live there in a tent, yurt, or other similar impermanent structure?

 

[Birdjaguar]

What if you actually live there in a tent, yurt, or other similar impermanent structure?

You can live there no problem. The mortgage deduction though is for financing a house: borrowing money to build a house or buying one that is already built. First and second homes usually qualify. Third, fourth or more, don't.

 

[shadowplay]

Any idea what this cluster of little mounds is in the yard? At first I thought they were anthills, but the holes are quite large and there are no ants. Ground bees perhaps?

Spoiler :

 

[thetrooper]

I think so @shadowplay

 

[Gori the Grey]

Yep, I think that might be it. I had them. They're only active at certain times of day, morning if I remember correctly. So watch them at various times of day and you might see bees going in and out. I just left them alone. They were there for a year, then not.

 

[Cutlass]

Any idea what this cluster of little mounds is in the yard? At first I thought they were anthills, but the holes are quite large and there are no ants. Ground bees perhaps?

Spoiler :

View attachment 593888

View attachment 593890

bees or wasps. kill them with fire

 

[Takhisis]

Smoke is good.

 

[Enemy post]

I posted a new scenario lately for Civ 3, but I can't post any links to it in the discussion thread, which makes it hard to find. Do I need a certain post count to use links here?

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Moderator Action: @Enemy post - I assigned your scenario resource to the scenario thread so the d/l link will now appear there at the top.