What is an unauthorized charge? Generally speaking, an unauthorized credit card charge is one you didn't make that you don't have any explanation for. Many times, unauthorized charges are discovered when someone is going over their credit card statements and notices charges they didn't make.
You can protect yourself from being liable for unauthorized debit card charges by reporting those charges immediately after you find out about them or they show up on your bank statement. If you spot a fraudulent transaction, call the card provider's toll-free customer service number immediately.
If you have online or mobile access to your accounts, check your transactions as frequently as possible. If you receive paper statements, be sure to open them and review them closely. If your provider offers it, consider signing up for email or text alerts.
Report even small problems right away. Sometimes thieves will process a small debit or charge against your account and return to take more from your bank account or add more charges to your credit card if the first smaller debit or charge goes through. And keep paying attention—fraudulent charges to your card or fraudulent debits to your bank account might occur many months after the theft of your information during a data breach.
