Her phone buzzed. A text from her bank: “Suspicious activity detected. Your card has been temporarily blocked. Reply YES if you authorized a purchase for $3,847.21 in Singapore.”
She couldn’t. This was her only one.
Elena typed them.
A chatbot named “Vera” appeared.
Panic nipped at her throat. She had no cash, no other cards, and a flight home in three days. Calling the 1-800 number from Germany meant international fees and a two-hour hold. The bank’s app required a one-time passcode sent to her U.S. number—which didn’t work overseas. unblock visa credit card