So it finally happened. Someone out there stole my credit card number and bought a bunch of phone card charges with it. Funny thing is, I never lost my card. It was still in my wallet!

So people, beware of identity theft: protect yourself. Now more than ever in this economy. My deduction is that when I gave the waiter at a restaurant my card to pay for the meal, the number was swiped. I did some research and found out that international phone cards do not need more than a credit card number to re-charge. The culprit then takes these fresh cards and sells them for less than face value. Viola! Instant 100% profit for the scumbag.

As you may have already seen, in the recent months, there have been different scams and frauds in the news, as well as some credit and debit cards being compromised from a certain processor.

I would like to share a few effective ways on how you can keep your accounts safe:

- Check your account statements for fraudulent activity every month. If you see any suspicious charges, notify your financial institution immediately.

- Sign up for Online Banking to keep track of your transactions in real-time.

- Do not call unknown phone numbers or visit suspicious web addresses.

- Do not give out account numbers or other personal financial information, unless you initiate contact.

- Shred personal and financial information before recycling.

- Ignore any correspondence with urgent requests for personal financial information. Many scammers will include upsetting or exciting messages to get people to react immediately.

- Review your credit report annually (or tri-annually, like I taught you). Visit Annual Credit Report dot Com.

- Use cash for smaller transactions.

Luckily, I called my bank in time and reported the incident. All is safe. See you in seven-ish!

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