Unauthorized charges refer to any purchases or transactions made without the knowledge, consent, or permission of an individual. This can include fraudulent activity such as identity theft, where a person's personal information is used to make unauthorized purchases on their credit card or other account. Unauthorized charges can also refer to any transaction that was not approved by the account holder, such as when a minor makes an online purchase without parental consent. In these cases, the individual may dispute the charge with their bank or credit card company in order to have it removed from their statement and potentially receive a refund.