There's a new rip-off that literally nickels and dimes people out of their money.

It starts when a small charge shows up on your credit card statement.

A man in New York spotted a charge for 26 cents on his bill. He tried to call the company and got a recorded message. He then went online and found out that thousands of other people had also been victims.

As a result, he closed his account, fearing that they might make a bigger charge later.

The best thing to do to avoid this scam is check your statements and contest any tiny charges immediately to stop big headaches down the road.

If you think you've been victimized, you can report the scam to your state's Attorney General's Office -- Kansas, Missouri -- and the Federal Trade Commission.