I'm sure my readers are so savvy that they don't need this advice, but in case not, here it is.
Check your credit card and bank balances often and regularly. Order a free credit report every year, or perhaps even more often, though it will cost you a bit. Keep track of where you're spending money.
I used to be not so good about all three of those things. Over the years, I've gradually improved. When I started economizing in November, I began to pay particular attention to my credit card balance, checking it often.
Thus, I quickly noticed the two paltry charges from GetGrantCash.com and MyFreeGrantReport, or whatever their names were. A person in the "customer service department" at the unnamed entity behind the charges said I had ordered a free CD that would show me where to find the thousands in unclaimed government grant dollars that would keep my from losing my house in foreclosure. She also said that with the order I signed up for all kinds of paid memberships. She kindly cancelled the memberships and gave me several confirmation numbers to prove it. I promptly had the account canceled and a new credit card issued.
Two weeks later, a $20 charge from Blockbuster.com appeared on the new account. I haven't been to Blockbuster in years, and I've
never been to Blockbuster.com.
The credit card security person told me the last charge was somehow tied to the previous account, even though the charge hit two weeks later, and we hope that's the end of the story.
In other news, I bought a house today.
