credit card warning on key cards

Hi fellow t/a members

This just came to me as a warning on the internet and I will write it as it came to me I beleive it is correct.

Ever wonder what is on your hotel door magnetic key card.

Answer:

a.Customers name

b.Customers partial home adress

c.Hotel room number

d.Check in dates and out dates

e. Customers credit card number and expiry date!

When you turn them in at the front deskyour 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 an these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time,the new guests information is electronically ';overwritten'; on the card and the previous guests 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 YOU 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 wasre basket, and NEVER turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. they will not charge you for the card (its illegal) and you%26#39;ll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with a 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!

Information coutesy of:Pasadena Police Department

I personally have a small magnet and pass it across the magnetic strip several times.Then try the door,it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Please forward to friends and family.

This is how I received it exactly and I feel we cannot be to careful in this world of credit card fraud.

All the best

Paulben

credit card warning on key cards

Urban legend. Though it is prudent to be careful.

www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/keycards.htm

www.hoax-slayer.com/hotel-key-card.html

http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hoaxes/hoaxDetails.asp?HName=Hotel+Key+Card+Hoax

offer information about the hoax and the facts about the information that is included on key cards,..minimal.

Don%26#39;t worry about key cards. Enjoy your holiday.

credit card warning on key cards

hi paul ben you would not belive it i got the same message on the net and i belive it is true as last year we whent to kohsamui and our card was scamed by a reception attendent we had no idea till my bank phoned me and told us they had to stop our credit card as it was scamed for 25 000 dollors yes 25 000 dollors and the police had ouy information in ther possesion as they had caught the person with the information from the hotel and i think it may have come from the returned key cards so now we dont return the cards as we tell them they are in the room still we dont use our credit card and pay deposit via cash on arrival where ever we travel to i like the idea off the magnet and have just put one in our suite case for our next trip in october hope other ta members take your warrning and follow suit rember it could happen to you from one that has been scamed ps we got our money back as the banks did not check with us first and allowed the transaction to go ahead as we allways notifie the ban be for we leave home off our approx bills we expected to pay at each hotel we stay in for accomidation only if we had not done this we would have had to pay 25 000 d0llors or till the banks recoverd the money so noteifie your bank be for you go traveling it saved our bacon kob rob

As Fish2 says it%26#39;s a HOAX!

Just Google Hotel Key Card Hoax and you will find loads of links confirming this.

Passing it on and alarming people is how the scammers get their kicks.

Couldn%26#39;t the hotel employees just as easily access that information on the computers?

This is an urban legend!