Warning about hotel key cards

  • Thread starter Ivan Seeking
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In summary, Southern California law enforcement professionals have discovered that hotel room keys, specifically those from the "Double Tree" chain, contain sensitive information such as the customer's name, partial home address, hotel room number, check-in and check-out dates, and credit card number with expiration date. This information can easily be accessed by hotel employees through a scanning device, even after the guest has checked out. It is recommended to either keep the card or destroy it instead of turning it in at the front desk. This information was shared by Sergeant K. Jorge and Detective Sergeant from the Pasadena Police Department.
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Ivan Seeking

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I assume this is accurate. It was sent to me by email.

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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 through-out 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:

• Customers (your) name
• Customers partial home address
• Hotel room number
• Check in date and check out date
• Customers (your) credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them into 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 these cards until an employee issues the card to the next hotel guest. It is usually kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is, keep the cards or destroy them! NEVER leave them behind and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card.


Information courtesy of: Sergeant K. Jorge,
Detective Sergeant,
Pasadena Police Department
 
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