February 7, 2008
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running the numbers, part two (electric boogaloo)
(btw, if you have never seen Breakin’ 2, you really need to check it out – an extended breakdance fight, dancing on the ceiling and fighting The Man – equipped with bulldozers – to keep your community center open makes for a downright wonderful hour and a half of fun)
It’s been a fascinating couple of days and I don’t think I’ll ever look at card numbers the same way.
(“Gee, Dad, we never thought of it that way!”)I emailed Visa Extras asking if I could have my username (read: number) and got this back within a few hours:
Dear Natalia xxxxxx,
Thank you for your message. I am sorry, but we cannot directly help you with this situation because Visa itself does not set up, service or have access to cardholder or merchant accounts. Our member financial institutions (the banks) do.
Please contact the financial institution that issued your Visa card using the address or telephone number on the Visa statement. This number may also appear on the back of the card itself. The financial institution can directly address your inquiry.Bummer. So there’s that.
Jean (who is a fab cyber-detective and helped me refine my searching) Melania and JJ (who let me ask them what their first digits of their cards were and didn’t question my motives or accuse me of outright theft) were all v. helpful in helping me remember what the beginning numbers were.
It turns out that the nearly half of your card number will be representative of the issuing bank. For example, JJ and Melania and I all got our cards from the same bank location at school and shared the same first six digits, which helped jog my memory and compile the rest of the sequence.
Also, credit card numbers are verified by the Luhn algorithm, which essentially has you doubling every other number and contracting the result into one digit if it’s over 10 (example: 6 x 2 = 12, 1 + 2 = 3 instead) adding the numbers together in a reverse order and seeing if the total end result ends in 0.
After my buddays lent me the first six digits and I remembered the rest of them, I Luhned ‘em and came up with a valid number, so I have, in fact, determined the correct sequence.
Buuuut because the account’s been closed since July, the Visa Extras account is null and void.
[insert trumpet "waaaah-waaaaaaaaaah" sound]
Thanks to everyone who had suggestions of what to do – when I earn enough points to get something cool, I’ll be sure to bring something to share with the whole class.
Comments (20)
Someone explained to me that Luhn thing once, but I’m one of those Jews-without-math-skills, unfortunately.
well that was rather anti-climactic. i think id be throwing elbows if i were you. or fighting 5 year olds. and speaking of that – did you know you can calculate how many 5 year olds you can take in a fight? seriously. http://www.howmanyfiveyearoldscouldyoutakeinafight.com/
@lyricsninja - yeah, but at least I remembered it! and i could take 24 five-year-olds – fear me.
@Natalia - 37 baby. but thats because im crazy enough to use those little mofos as weapons. thats right, ive got no morals. put that in your pipe and smoke it.
@lyricsninja - oh, i used ‘em as weapons, too, but i think my problem is that i lack martial arts experience and didn’t fudge the amount of ninja prowess i have
@Natalia - fair enough. i dont have much in the martial arts realm, but it also comes down to reach, body type, etc. its amazing what you can find out on the web. now if only donnie would make his newest “you suck at photoshop” then my week would be complete.
bummer…. note to self: extract your rewards before you close the account.
I am never good at keeping track of any of that stuff… bummer. I thought you had a soldier boy video up? lol
@angi1972 - it’s on the front page and i picked it this afternoon (http://video.xanga.com/anjizzle/3e9e9511135/video.html is the direct link – go learn it! there will be a test.)
this whole process boggled my mind. i can’t believe you figured it OUT!
I’m impressed. Seriously impressed. And confused. But I shall keep your thought process filed in the back of my mind in case I ever have to remember my card number.
And it totally sucks you can’t use your points anymore. Weak.
I’m amazed you were able to remember the number and figure everything out. Too bad the points aren’t valid anymore.
womp womp.
@JEJustice08 - i thought about typing “womp womp” just for you
oh yeah, i do remember reading anytime u close your account, your points go with it. bummer indeed.
Hah, goddamn, that’s damn near frightening. Almost like this one metal song I heard that had a Strauss interlude, and then something blaxplotiation-esque that I’d swear was out of Maceo Parker’s drunken afternoon spent with Isaac Hayes.
Sigh’s “Slaughtergarden Suite” followed by “A Sunset Song” immediately afterward, off of “Imaginary Sonicscapes”.
ooooh, the algorithm is interesting..
i’ll be waiting for your points, ha ha!
wow, that is very cool.
p/s.: so what was your account #?
p/s.: strike that, what are the account number of your current, and active, credit cards? this way… you know… in case you forget again there is someone– me — that will have it for you. as back-up, of course.
:”)
i can see it now
youll be committing credit card fraud within the year