Toad
08-22-2005, 11:10 AM
Here is some interesting reading and something to ponder next time you check into a hotel. I received this via the Palm Beach Economic Crime meeting.
Subject: Hotel card-keys
You know how when you check out of a hotel that uses the credit-card-type
room key, the clerk often will ask if you have your key(s) to turn in...or
there is a box or slot on the Reception counter in which to put them? It's
good for the hotel because they save money by re-using those cards. But,
it's not good for you, as revealed below.
From the
California Bureau of Investigation:
" Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new
threats to personal security issues, recently discovered what type of
information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used
throughout the industry.
Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from the
"Double Tree" chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation was found to contain the following the information:
a.. Customers (your) name
b.. Customers partial home address
c.. Hotel room number
d.. Check in date and check out date
e.. Customer's (your) credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there
for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel
scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a
scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go
shopping at your expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information! on these cards until an
employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the
new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and
the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in
a
drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy
them. NEVER ! leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER
turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will
not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not
leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily
lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still
have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash
basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through
the electronic information strip!
Subject: Hotel card-keys
You know how when you check out of a hotel that uses the credit-card-type
room key, the clerk often will ask if you have your key(s) to turn in...or
there is a box or slot on the Reception counter in which to put them? It's
good for the hotel because they save money by re-using those cards. But,
it's not good for you, as revealed below.
From the
California Bureau of Investigation:
" Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new
threats to personal security issues, recently discovered what type of
information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used
throughout the industry.
Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from the
"Double Tree" chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation was found to contain the following the information:
a.. Customers (your) name
b.. Customers partial home address
c.. Hotel room number
d.. Check in date and check out date
e.. Customer's (your) credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there
for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel
scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a
scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go
shopping at your expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information! on these cards until an
employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the
new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and
the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in
a
drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy
them. NEVER ! leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER
turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will
not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not
leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily
lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still
have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash
basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through
the electronic information strip!