After all the attention Toby's credit card has gotten this week, I just have this image stuck in my head:Tonight, sitting near the steel glow of the Philco, a sweaty waiter in a white shirt talks business with his two creepy buddies. "I got one today," he says, wiping a smudge of stew from off his elbow.
"So did I," says the hippie in the oil-stained camouflage. "Easy as checkin' under the hood."
"Me too. Me get one too!" says the brilliant computer hacker who happens to be a fairly good speller for a four year old.
Imagine their surprise when they realize they all have stolen the identity of the same person! "But we can't all be Toby Cameron!"
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Lunch with Mary Worth: $21.17
Filling up in the full-service lane: $112.48
Purchasing a rare documentary about Scotland: $11.29.
Having your identity stolen three different times on the same day? Priceless.
Today's Full Strip
Not much left to say. You gave me the giggles.
ReplyDeleteThe theft of Toby's identity will be the Kennedy Assasination for the Digital Age. There are so many suspects that the threads will never be untagled.
ReplyDeleteRecords show that the card was used in The Book Repository at the very same time that it was debited at The Grassy Knoll.
On second thought, instead of this story being "A Mary Worth Lesson in How to Use Computers" I think it's pretty apparent that by now, it's "A Mary Worth Lesson in How NOT to Use Computers"...
ReplyDeleteOh, well...
Poor poor Toby. I believe she is about to chew the nail ends off her well manicured hand (Visa card/House-o-Nails $39.99) You don't think she will fall for this worn grift and feed all her vital junk into the hands of those theiving internet phishers? If she does Ian's gonna be chin beard pullin' mad. He may even put the used Scotland DVD where it will never be played again. No never!
ReplyDeleteshandyowl: wanders' "secret message" only hints at what's going to happen--and I think he's not far off the mark.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the Sunday episode at washingtonpost.com. It's in the first panel in Toby's thought ballon: "My credit card is getting a workout today..." The whole plot twist is going to rely on the timing of Toby going to enormoushop.com [which may or may not be aphishing site] and that obvious phishing email she's just received today. Since she's basically been "shopping 'til she drops", Toby isn't going to catch the fact that the site to which she's being directed is bogus. She'll simply open the link in the email she's received, "confirm" her information at the phishing site, and then the fun will ensue!
[A word to the wise: If you suspect email you receive is of the phishing variety, DO NOT open it under any circumstances!]
I liked pandagrandma's idea about the story possibly being about Toby's shopping addiction, but it looks like it really is going to be about her identity being stolen. I think it should tip her off that the e-mail said it was "irgent" but she is willing to do anything but lose her chance to get Ian's Scotland DVD which is what she thinks will happen if she doesn't respond. Oh it just occurred to me that the e-mail might be from some 10 year old who created a virus that will end up in Toby's computer, it will crash and chinbeard will be so mad he won't even care about his birthday present.
ReplyDeleteShe forgot to read the rest of the email:
ReplyDelete"Signed, a wealthy Nigerian prince who just needs your bank account number to transfer his vast wealth from one location to another and will of course reward you handsomely, you betcha."
Is it a bad thing if my first thought after reading today's strip is to wonder what unhelpful aphroism Mary will quote for this situation? I'm hoping for the old classic "A fool and his money are soon parted," but that may be expecting too from Mary Worth.
ReplyDeleteUh-oh. I don't like the vibe that I'm getting from today's strip. I have the distinct feeling that in the near future, Chinbeard's attorney will be Nancy Grace's next target!
ReplyDelete