As I looked at my credit card statement, I could see how it began innocuously enough. A 95 cent charge from a company that I didn’t recognize was on my bill, but the name sounded like a video rental place. A few days later, there was a $3.99 fee on my bill from the same company, and another identical charge a few days after that. The thing was, I knew that I didn’t rent videos in that manner. (The name, by the way, is ReelHD.com., and there are many internet reports of phishing and scamming from that company.)
Here’s how it works: Scammers send through a tiny trial charge, such as the 95 cents that was charged to my account. When it goes through and they realize they have a valid card number, they simply keep submitting innocent-looking charges. The person paying the bill may assume that someone in the family is renting movies and pay it unquestioningly. Before long, a sizeable number of charges have accrued, but always in small, difficult-to-notice increments. Their success lies in making lots of small charges, rather than one big, attention-grabbing charge.
As Lent draws to a close, the past 40 days have given us a way to examine our lives closely. If we don’t take time periodically to really examine our lives, we might miss something. Sin sneaks in subtly, usually in small, inconsequential ways. For most of us, the issue of sin isn’t about the big things, like whether we should rob a bank on our way into work. Instead, it’s the small things that are only a smidge away from the right things. Here’s one clue, if you find yourself saying the following: “It’s not a big deal if I (fill in the blank). No one will notice, and it won’t make any difference anyway.” Before long, well, we’ve racked up a whole bunch of charges without noticing. And it all begins so simply.
In my situation, the only way to stop Reelhd from continuing to make charges to my account is to cancel the card. I have reported it to my card company, and they have said that they will refund my money “after they have completed their investigation.” While it took me 30 seconds of Googling to complete my particular investigation, I assume it will take much longer before I see my refund.
The author of Hebrews urged us to make that same type of drastic change if needed: “. . Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. . .” Sin starts subtly and clings closely, and all we can do is run the race ahead of us. But how?
The promise of Easter brings us confidence. No matter how much we are burdened, the risen Christ reminds us that, ultimately, sin and fraud and anything else that weighs us down are running out of time. The race has already been won.
