On his podcast, Clark Howard answers real reader questions on money, credit, debt, retirement, travel, and more, along with co-host Christa DiBiase.

Clark's answer: It is very unlikely to just be a coincidence. If you don't have your credit frozen already, you need to get that done right away. If someone is somehow getting access to your personal information like that, they might also try applying for new credit in your name at some point. If you don't know how to do a credit freeze, it's completely free – just go to clark.com/creditfreeze to get started.

On the bright side, it's a good thing these were credit cards and that you regularly read your statements to catch the unauthorized charges. You only have a 60-day window to spot fraudulent activity. If you aren't checking your statements and charges, you could end up paying for a criminal's shopping spree instead of your own.