ARE.YOU.KIDDING.ME??!!

Up until this point I had never really had strong convictions about who I bank with or why and who I have a credit card with or any of those things. I was just blissfully ignorant. I didn't really think it mattered. Well it does, boy does it ever. Friday night Nate and I wanted to go out on a date, but we can't afford a babysitter and he got home late anyways. So we opted for the family date, which is usually the case. We all went out to dinner and surprisingly had a good time. The food was ok, and the kids were terrific! We went to pay and Nate handed over the credit card. Declined. Um EXCUSE ME?! Try it again. Declined again. WHAT?! I have NEVER been late on a payment and have never even gotten half way to our limit. So what is going on. We had a bank card, so we used that. We went home and I got online to see what was up. No access to our account here's a number to call. The office is closed please call back. Ok. Really starting to get worried now. Can't do anything about it now so we go to bed. The next morning we call and find out that some one ordered over $1000 worth of Italian clothes online with our credit card number. SERIOUSLY! How? Where did they get the #? I am so careful! However, when Bank Of America saw that they tried to call us. Couldn't get a hold of us and immediately put the account on hold and didn't authorize payment on that Italian thief's shopping spree!! Can I say THANK YOU BANK OF AMERICA!! We don't have to pay for that, and they are changing our account immediately. Sure we have to wait 7-10 days for our new cards but they saved me from a big huge mess I didn't want to have to deal with! And a big THANK YOU to Pamela and Keith who are the ones that suggested we use them as our cc company!! (Again I didn't have any idea so I just asked someone I thought would know, and Pamela knows everything!) We have been with BOA for about 8 years and this was the first time anything like this has happened, but it's nice to know they've got our backs! That sounded a little like a commercial for them. It wasn't. So all of you who are more knowledgeable than me, how did this happen and what can I do to make sure it doesn't happen again?