Story time- fraud on my account

Someone tried to take money from my account

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Hello Little ones! How have you been the past few days? I've been dealing with what I'm currently writing about, pretty stressful right? This is why I have been absent for 2 days, I really am sorry about that; but I thought I would make up for that by telling you about it!
Tomorrow I will be treating you guys to a Body-Shop haul, how exciting! As for now it's a story time, which you ALL need to look out for! Keep your eyes pealed and details close to your heart!
Have a little read if you want, it may benefit you in the long-run :).

If you want to read another story time click here!

BACKSTORY:

I'm an extremely anxious human being. I NEVER leave receipts out in the open, I shred everything that has my details on; this is what my mother taught me, and I go by her standards. It may sound ridiculous, but not when there are evil people out there trying to take your hard-working money away from you. In addition to this, I have never been the one to put excessive amounts of card information on the internet; the only time I would EVER do this would be online shopping; which I don't think I will be doing for a while; because of a recent situation that has happened to me. 

WHAT HAPPENED:

Profoundly, I was on the internet, doing the usual-research, social media and replying to emails. One caught my eye, it was an email from Gov.com. It stated that I was due a tax rebate; which I found amazing at the time; it looked like a legit email ... So I put my card details in, as well as my full name and address. All PERSONAL information. I was thinking to myself that this was perfect, I was getting paid soon and this on top would of been perfection! 

The positive thoughts stopped when I received a text message from my bank, it stated that my account was being hacked into and that I needed to phone the fraud department as soon as possible. My heart was in my mouth, I couldn't believe that this was happening to me! I was always careful with my money, I had no idea at this point in time how this could of happened. I looked up the number that the bank text me on; just to make sure that it was the bank, simply because I didn't want to disclose any personal information over the phone to fakes. It was a legit number so I called them, they stated, "did you try and pay for something on Maplins for £420?" I urgently said, "no". Panic was rifling down my body, my hands were clammy from the sweat, I had no idea what to do, the lady's words sounded like a blur. It took a few moments for me to snap back to reality and think that I had to do something, and something quick! She said, "we will put a block on your account, we are also sending you a new card in 2 working days" She also said, "for them to of done this they would of has to of known ALL your personal information". It was then that it clicked ... The email ... I had put all my personal information on there, my heart sank and I began to sob. She consulted me while I told her what I had done by mistake. She reassured me that my account was blocked and she would unblock in when my new card arrived, just so I would be able to spend my money when I got paid. I was worried of what she thought of me, that I was a careless young child that couldn't look after my details, I poured my heart out to this person, she did nothing but laugh a little and say that this happens all the time; and that this had happened to her a few years back. She was ever so kind. 

In this current situation I now have my new card and my anxiety has gone away for the time being. 

KEY TIPS:

If you have received an EMAIL from GOV it's NOT real! It's FAKE! The government will only get into contact with you over the phone, or they will send you a letter in a BROWN envelope!

I thought that they could send out emails, but they don't! Although they offer online services they do not require you to fill out any personal information on the web, only over the phone! Something else you need to know, is that if you are owed a tax rebate, you can ONLY do this OVER THE PHONE. They will take your information over the phone, and they will NOT ask for card details. They will send you a check in the post with your rebate. I repeat they do NOT ask for card information, if they do they are FAKE!

This is now the end of my blog post, I know this is a very scary topic, but I want to make sure that my Little ones are safe and sound. If this has happened to you, or someone you know, or if you are unsure then at least you know now. 

Please don't do what I did, it was a tough lesson to learn, but I didn't know at the time, it was too late. But I am ok now, and you guys will be as well! 

I love you all so very much, I will see you tomorrow with something a bit more positive! Sleep tight and see you tomorrow! Stay safe and stay tuned Little ones :) x x x

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire

Snapchat: missamymcguire

Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com

If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Shopping experience review

Lush Store review:

Hello and good morning Little ones! I'm heading off to get my retainers, but in the mean time I thought that I would write a quick blog post on my experience in most Lush stores.
Small disclaimer: I have not been paid by Lush to do this, I just wanted to share my positive experience at Lush. 

If you want to know my Lush experience, sit back, relax and have a banana :).

Side-note: I have been working in retail for 3 years now, I know what is expected from: sales assistants, supervisor, managers etc. This has helped me an awful lot, as I know exactly what to look out for when heading into a store; for example, customer needs etc. 

PRESENTATION:

• Store layout:
  I have been to a multitude of Lush stores, and they always have a wide and spacious opening, this is also consistent throughout the entire store. This is a massive thumbs up for me, simply because my mother is disabled, she owns an electric scooter, I see her swerving through stores at times and there is no room for her! This aggravates me so much, but knowing that Lush offer a wide shop floor arrangement makes me extremely content. It also benefits the average Jo, it makes it easier for us to walk around the store, and not get in people's way. I know how frustrating it is when you want to look at the dragon egg bath bomb, but honey, please move :'). Something also that I love with Lush, especially on Oxford Street, they place the same product in different areas, so that people don't crowd around one product, this is bloody genius! Thank you Lush God! Gold star for Lush!
  In regards to where the products are in the store, they are clearly labeled, and have their own individual section. This is the best invention on earth, it makes the shopping experience so much easier and less stressful! From a customers point of view, the easier the company make my shopping experience, the more likely I am to buy into their brand. With Lush it's a no brainer! I love them as a company, they are perfection! 
• Products presentation:Lush never fail to make their products look beautiful, and tasty! I remember when I took my boyfriend Chris, and he thought he could eat the soap; he was confused when I said he couldn't :'). As shown in the pictures above, the soap bars look like luxury chocolates; but they are presented in a straight line. This shows that they are organised and consistent throughout; and this reflects their outstanding business. In addition to this, I love the way they place their bath bombs in a triangle formation, it looks astonishing and so professional. From a customers point of view, having products that look amazing makes me feel that the business cares about their business, and that they care what their customers think. Being a fan of Lush for years I know that they go the extra mile when it comes to their customers, anyone that goes to Lush will know what I'm talking about, and if you don't just look at how stunning their products are. 
• Staff presentation:
  They are consistent throughout, they all wear black and have aprons, just so they don't get their uniform dirty. It also hints that they are professional, simply because they are going to get messy during their job, especially when demonstrating a product. It lets the customer know that they look the part as well as acting like it. The fact that they are all consistent shows that they care about their image, and the impact that this has on the company; they evidently want to spread a positive message to their customers; and I get this 100% when I walk into a variety of stores. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Without fail, every time I enter a store, there is always someone there greeting every customer that walks in. They are content and friendly; it feels like you've pumped into a friend. When you've wondered around the store, you get various customer assistants coming up to you and asking if you need help. But they aren't pushy, it literally feels like a friend talking to you. As a customer, this is so important, if you make me feel comfortable I will want to stay in the store. They make me feel wanted, they care about my needs and expectations, and are completely chill if they have to explain the ins and outs of a product. They make it hassle free which is a bonus! I hate it when I go into stores and they make you feel like you are being a pain; this in NOT the case at Lush. 

In addition to this, when you need a product explained to you, they will explain it slowly, they will tell you why it suits you, and if not they will recommend a different product. Which I find so helpful! As they want to make sure that they are benefiting you in every way shape and form. They also give you a live demonstration and let you test the products beforehand, this gives you the opportunity to see if you like the product or not, and if so they will pack it up for you.  

All in all, the people I have met in Lush are the nicest people I have ever encountered, I always love going to their store and I wish we had one in Welwyn Garden City. 

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little blog post! Have a lovely day!

See you soon Little ones, stay tuned :) x x x