In a hurry to catch her plane Vera, a New Yorker in Los Angeles, is scammed while returning her rental car in the Avis parking lot. The con man allows her to gather her belongings. Thinking no personal information is compromised by the rental car theft, she is unaware that Howie and Charlene have her credit card slip and conference brochure left in the car. Howie has access to credit reports through an acquaintance who sells cars. With this information Charlene researches Vera's New York address and workplace information. Charlene arranges to have her bank and credit card statements "Fed Exed" to the conference hotel. Vera's credit card is refused while purchasing a birthday present. Pursuing her account activity she discovers a mailbox in her name in California. Then friends and coworkers receive strange emails from her AOL screen name. In a dialog with tech support to restore her changed password Vera finds out that someone had used her mother's maiden name and social security number to break in to her email. The story moves back and forth between both women's daily routines and personal issues. Charlene is in an abusive relationship and is plotting to break from Howie with her new fortune. Vera's friend, Colin, is a computer hacker who connects with the IP address at the scene of the crime. Suspense is driven by what someone can accomplish with your personal information.