IF I WERE A THIEF
- Treavor Dodsworth CFP®, CPA, CKA®

- Jun 6, 2025
- 1 min read
If I were a credit card thief, I would look at the routine transactions that occur on your card and then spend small amounts at those places. Do that for 50+ people over multiple years and I am sure the amount would add up quick.

I recently had a client tell me someone had stolen their information and slowly in $25 - $35 charges had stolen nearly $1,000. The charges were for items that made sense and it took awhile to realize this was happening.
This client pays attention and tracks their transactions. If someone isn't tracking their transactions, it is easy how to see these $25-$35 transactions could continue for decades.
At Monthly Financial Coaching we are big believers in having a system set up where you track transactions diligently. That system may be an app, spreadsheet, or some hybrid.
One of the overlooked benefits of tracking transactions is it allows you to see fraudulent charges much sooner.
Many of the people reading this are struggling to maintain monthly financial margin. In order to reduce the likelihood that margin depletes due to fraudulent charges, closely monitor and track your transactions.
