How to Monitor Your Bank Account for Suspicious Activity

Regularly checking your bank account is one of the most effective fraud protections. Thieves often start with small test charges ($1-2) to check if an account is active before making larger purchases. Catching these early can save thousands.

Check your account at least weekly — with your bank's app, this takes under two minutes. Watch for: charges from unfamiliar merchants (especially small amounts), duplicate charges, unauthorized recurring payments, and transactions in places you have not visited.

If you find suspicious activity: contact your bank immediately by calling the number on the back of your card. They will freeze the card, issue a new one, investigate, and reverse confirmed fraud. Federal law limits your liability to $50 for credit cards and $50-$500 for debit cards depending on how quickly you report.

After reporting, change your online banking password and passwords for connected accounts. Monitor closely for the next few weeks as additional unauthorized charges may appear.

Prevention: enable transaction alerts for every charge, use strong unique passwords, avoid banking on public WiFi, and check your credit report annually. Consider using credit cards instead of debit cards for everyday purchases — credit cards have stronger federal fraud protections and the money is not taken directly from your bank account.