I got a text message from AT&T this morning warning me that I’ve used up 65% of my data plan for this billing period.  I didn’t sign up for the gouging 2Gb plan so that means I’ve used 130Mb of data since April 14th.

Huh?  I don’t think so.

I signed into the AT&T Website to check things out.  I saw that, according to AT&T, I sent 52Mb yesterday at 4:50.  There’s a lot wrong there.  First of all, I didn’t send 52Mb of anything from my phone, ever.  EVER.  

Secondly, at 4:50 yesterday, my phone was securely locked away in my vehicle.  Not only did I not send anything from my phone, nobody sent anything from my phone.

I decided to call AT&T to see what’s going on.  That’s when I joined the Hollywood spy thriller!

First of all, when I spoke with the customer support rep (who must have thought she was dealing with a complete rube) she tried to tell me that sending emails or checking facebook could be the culprit.  I explained to this script monkey that I understand that doing those activities use data but:

  1. It wouldn’t use 52Mb of data
  2. The phone was locked in my vehicle at the time

She then asked if I had other apps on the phone.  ”Many apps connect to the internet.”  I said that of course I have apps on the phone.

She then suggested the most amazing thing I’d ever heard.  I thought she was joking at first.  She thought that perhaps someone was using my SIM chip.  The actually posited the idea that someone broke into my garage, broke into my vehicle, found my phone, pulled the SIM chip out, drove away out of Wi-Fi range, sent 52Mb of something, drove back and put the SIM chip back in my phone, re-locked my vehicle and escaped.  ALL WITHOUT BEING DETECTED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!

Where’s my mission impossible theme music?

I asked if the time records at AT&T might be reflecting Eastern Time instead of Central Time.  At least that way, there’s a possibility that the phone would be out and available.  She insisted that the times shown were what the times were on the phone.  Well, that’s impossible.  Except for the spies roaming suburban Madison, WI.

She then pointed out that there were a few text messages that had gone back and forth… again, while the phone was locked away.  Well, that’s just flat impossible.  Wait!  The spies!  DAMNIT!

After doing my own investigations, the only possibility is that the times the AT&T website are showing are an hour off because then things line up right.  If we go on that premise, where did this 52Mb transaction come from?

Oops…

Ooo… that stings.  It was me.  I triggered my phone to update my apps right before I went home.  The phone updated the apps over the cellular network.  Gah.  My fault.

Be that as it may, dear script monkey… suggesting that someone swapped my SIM card is an insult to me and to AT&T.  You should be ashamed of suggesting such a thing.