Dad Loses It When Kid Steals His Identity [PHOTO]

Monday, I got a call from my bank's fraud protection department. When the rep told me that there was suspicious activity on my card I asked, "What kind of suspicious activity?" He told me that there were 11 transactions on my card in less than 10 minutes, all for more than $10. My heart stopped.

Apparently, all of the transactions were made to iTunes.com, and with me being an Android user, I knew it wasn't me making those purchases. Then of course my account went haywire, my card was cancelled, and I'm looking at about a dozen overdraft fees on top of everything else.

I contacted Apple, and after being on hold for the better part of Monday evening, we traced the problem. When I bought my wife's iPhone, my card somehow became the default card on her account. When my son, on day three of no school, was playing on my wife's phone he was playing a game and accidentally downloaded something within the game that took off any went on a spending spree.

Thankfully the guys at Apple were very understanding and assured me that the funds would be returned to my account within 5 to 10 business days. It's funny how they can take your money right away, yet it takes them a week or more to put it back.

Likewise, my bank said that they will wave the overdraft fees once the account settles back down. In the mean time it's a waiting game, but more importantly... a lesson learned.

My son was the cause of this, but it was an accident. Even so, I explained to him that I have to pay for his honest mistake. He started tearing up, because I think he actually understood the gravity of what had happened. I grounded him from tablets and smartphones, and he totally understood and accepted his punishment.  He gave me a huge hug as told me he was sorry.

Yes, it sucks that my bank account is gonna be going nuts for the next few weeks, but on the bright side, two good things came out of this. One, my identity wasn't stolen after all, and two, my son learned a huge lesson in responsibility. Oh, and three, it could have been a whole lot worse!