Harmonious resolution after a phishing scam

Cybersecurity has been a pressing issue for some years now, on both an individual and a global level. Scammers are looking for a moment when you let your guard down and, bam, they’ve caught you.

I know because one night my husband discovered a large sum of money had been fraudulently deducted from our checking account to pay a bill that wasn’t ours. He recalled an email he’d received earlier and recognized that this incident was the result of a phishing scam. We explained this to our bank, but they couldn’t refund the money without further investigation.

The situation left us feeling violated and uncertain about how we’d cover this unexpected, potentially long-term deficit. This was further complicated since we were in the middle of an extensive house project, which we had committed to completing with our contractor. After we took practical steps to secure our account, I reached out to God for peace.

When an injustice occurs, it can be so tempting to place blame and feel animosity toward the perpetrators. Yet I knew these reactions have nothing to do with our true nature as the expression of God, who is Love itself and loves all equally. I knew that harboring feelings of hurt and anger wouldn’t help me move past this event or see the blessings that God always has in store for His children.

I thought more about the meaning and source of true security and reliability. It seemed so unjust to me that someone out there had seen our private information and manipulated our account without our knowledge. So I thought about what can never be violated and is always safe: our relation to God, the Father-Mother that lovingly cares for all.

One of my go-to passages for inspiration and comfort is this one from Psalms, which I memorized as a young student in the Christian Science Sunday School: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence” (91:1-3).

Over the years, this psalm has helped me to lean on and trust in God’s power and protection, which is spiritual and inviolable, not dependent on a material source. In this case it also reminded me that no phishing trap is more powerful than God, who knows only good and whose pure goodness is always at hand to deliver us from any harm or apparent negligence.

I had also been studying that week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson, which happened to include the following description of “purse” from the Glossary of biblical terms found in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy: “Laying up treasures in matter; error” (p. 593).

Material treasures may be subject to theft and loss, but true treasure has its source in God, divine Spirit. As such it cannot truly be harmed or stolen at any time. The supply God gives us is permanent. As this line from Scripture reassures us, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

I also prayed to know that justice is a quality of God, which encouraged me that the bank would uncover the dishonest transaction without harm to our financial situation. While it may seem that evil has temporary power, it has no legitimacy to produce harm, because God, good, is the one true all-power. Divine Truth naturally unveils wrong and restores justice. “Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God’s own way, and let human justice pattern the divine,” Mrs. Eddy urged us (Science and Health, p. 542).

These ideas helped me to hold on to my joy and confidence in God’s protection, even in the face of doubt and confusion.

As it turned out, the bank resolved our case and returned the funds much sooner than expected. We were able to fulfill all of our obligations in the meantime, including successfully completing our home project. We’ve become even more alert to suspicious emails. And I now have a firmer understanding of true security, with God as its abiding source.

Whether we’re facing a security issue firsthand or hearing about similar issues on a larger scale in the news, we can acknowledge the presence and power of divine Truth and pray to see “human justice pattern the divine.”