A few years ago I made the mistake of responding to a chugger (never heard that word before - thanks!) and then regretted it, especially sharing my bank account details and then getting repeated mail and email contacts from the charity. It was an indigenous literacy project, which is why I started donating a year or so later to a more credible project after I gave the first one the flick.

I have said this before in other threads, but a few years ago I was very surprised to see on my bank statement that I had ordered something from Pizza Hut and a chocolate shop in Atlanta, Georgia!! (I live in Oz.) It was a credit card skimming scam and I found out some time later that it was connected to an online transaction from a reputable US music shop which I have dealt with for decades, and which had unfortunately been hacked. (Note: the last time I went to Pizza Hut was about 40 years ago so that made me very alert when I read it.)

When I phoned my bank the very helpful phone contact person gave me an excellent safety tip for online transactions. She suggested setting up a separate account solely for online transactions and to transfer money in only when I was about to make a transaction. The idea is that there is not enough money in that account most of the time for any dodgy transactions to make a big impact, so in effect it is a kind of ghost account. In an email exchange with the music shop owner, I also told her about that suggestion.

Regarding door knocking charity people, many years ago a government department sent letters to everyone in Oz with some stickers to put on the front door, "No doorknockers please". I stuck one on the front door and have had excellent success with it except for two occasions.

One day the doorbell rang and there were two sheepish looking young men about to walk out the gate. They had obviously seen the sticker after they rang the doorbell. I think they were worried that I would yell at them but I stayed polite.

The second incident was a few months ago when a young man wanted to sign us up for a renewable energy offer. When I pointed to the sticker and asked if he had seen it, he very brazenly said that yes, he had seen it but it looked old so he ignored it. After we sent him politely on his way I made up two more stickers and stuck them prominently on the door to avoid further "confusion".

One of the good results of those stickers is that we don't get the well-meaning Christians from a particular church which I won't name, knocking on the door and asking if we have found Jesus. :-D