If someone swipes your credit card info and goes on a spending spree, there’s a decent chance the company will catch the fraud, freeze your account and refund your money. Things can get trickier when the thief is more careful about his purchases, buying low-cost items at irregular intervals.

Jenny at Life After College describes how she caught a credit card thief in the act by keeping a close eye on her online purchase records. She reported the crime to Wells Fargo and discovered someone had been manually entering in her card number to buy stuff at places such as Walmart and Kroger.

Those who pay their credit card bills without checking the statements may never find out that they’re being victimized like this. The earlier you discover these shenanigans and report them to the card company, the faster you’ll stop the problem.

It’s also a good idea to monitor your credit card charges just to confirm the vendor entered them correctly. If you spot discrepancies, bank customer services reps will often take you at your word and credit back lost funds with minimal hassle.

Are you a victim of “quiet” credit card fraud? My recent story + Only72 sale details [Life After College]

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