In the movie “Office Space,” the main characters embark on a scheme to punish their employer and get rich by gradually siphoning pennies into their own accounts through bank transactions. I won’t spoil the plot for those that haven’t seen it, but let’s just say that things don’t go exactly as planned and hilarity ensues.

Not so hilarious, however, is the real-life scam that is being played out currently. According to the Boston Globe, at least 800 bank customers have been the victims of a similar scheme utilized by fraudulent hackers. In this situation, customers are finding tiny unauthorized charges to the bank accounts and credit cards, usually ranging between 21 cents and 48 cents and show up on statements as either “Adele Services” or “GFDL.”

Authorities have not determined the severity of this scam or located any suspects, but they do have some theories on where the scam is headed.

One theory is that, similar to the “Office Space” gang, these hackers have collected credit card numbers to gradually take small sums of money out of unknowing customers’ accounts over a long period of time. These hackers, authorities speculate, do this in the hopes that the account-holders either fail to notice the small charges or do not bother fighting for the tiny amounts. For individual customers, the missing funds may not amount to enough to cause concern, but for the hackers that target hundreds – or perhaps thousands – of customers, this scheme could develop into a very lucrative business.

The other theory that is being touted by financial experts and authorities is that the thieves are testing credit card numbers for validity, with hopes to use them for a much larger heist later. The small charges may be virtually unnoticeable now, but the large charges that may result later could be much more damaging.

The first of these scams emerged this past winter, and authorities are still “waiting for the other shoe to drop” in terms of these hackers’ final goals. However, as always, it’s important to be proactive about protecting your identity and finances. Use a secure computer to check your accounts online frequently, and carefully scan all statements against your own records and receipts to identify even the smallest discrepancy. Alert your bank to fraudulent charges, no matter how minute, and cancel all cards you think may have been infiltrated by an unauthorized entity.