Has this ever happened to you? Having your debit card compromised is not fun and no one likes it. This happened to me about a month ago.

I saw a charge on my account from a toy company in New York in the amount of $300.00. Of course, knowing that I had not been to New York overnight, I immediately called our accounting manager and yelled, “help!” She took immediate action to help me.

The charge was removed and my card was de-activated to suspend any further transactions from hitting my account. I also found out that two more transactions were “trying” to come through to my account, both from New York. There were two victims here, myself and the toy company. I later learned that my card was probably copied at a restaurant. I felt totally violated. What a mess!

I was fortunate because I work at the Credit Union and can view my account anytime. Here is what I have learned throughout this experience:

• Check your account daily
• Sign up for online banking, it’s free and fast
• Sign up for mobile banking, it's also free
• The minute you see suspicious activity, call your credit union immediately
• Never let your debit card out of your sight
• If you must use your card at a restaurant, walk with the waitress/waiter while the card is being swipedbut preferably, use a credit card