This Damn Near Gave Me a Heart Attack...

[Lord Jim]

Especially since I paid the electric bill in full last week:

PG&E Bill

Your Account Summary

Amount Due on Previous Statement $344.70
Payment(s) Recieved Since Last Statement 0

Previous Unpaid Balance $344.70

Current Electric Charges $165.80
Current Gas Charges $49.20

Total Amount Due BY 02/01/2014 $559.70

It included a helpful link for me to log on and make my payment...

I was just about to pick up the phone and ream somebody at PG&E a new one, when I decided to take a little closer look; the email really didn't look like our usual monthly statement...(It had the PG&E logo, but the layout just didn't look quite right...)

So I looked at the Full Header Details, checked the "from" email address, and I discovered that apparently as a cost saving move, PG&E has relocated their headquarters to Russia:

From: "PG&E" <do_not_reply@nalivnoipol.ru>

These guys just never run out of new fiendish tricks to pull out of their bag...

[MajGenl.Meade]

It's something to do with victimless crimeas. The charge of the electric light brigade.

[rubato]

Forward brave 120! (240 in Europe)


But they are improving at this,'spoofing' a legitimate business transaction, and will continue to do so. Low-cost and high value crime. Once the money is deposited in Mother Russia (or similar) its gone forever.


yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

I still get my bills snail mailed to me and pay by written check sent via the same snail mail.

[MajGenl.Meade]

oldr prepares to pay a bill

[Lord Jim]

Yes oldr, make sure there's enough ink in the well...

I'm trying to remember the last time I wrote a check...(I think it was back in September to buy some stuff at an event at Tati's school; they weren't set up to take plastic.) at this point, I write maybe three or four checks a year...(generally, like the last one, for something related to school.)

[Gob]

I've not had a cheque book since I arrived in Aus.

[Big RR]

I still use checks and Snail Mail as well; I don't trust putting my account on the internet. It's probably just as secure, but I just don't trust it.

[rubato]

My wife prefers checks. I almost never use them.

yrs,
rubato