ID Theft

[katbuad]

I spent the last two days in training meetings for CPE. One session that I did has some information that I thought interesting enough to share. The session was on identity theft. The instructor said that thieves were now able to steal information from hotel key cards and recommended never leaving keys in the rooms or giving them back at the end of your stay. He said that the key card was linked to your account, which has your name, address, and credit card information. He said that key cards were rarely erased; that the doors locks were just simply reset by the hotel and all your information stays on the card waiting for the right--more like wrong--person to read it off the card. His advice was to take the cards with you when you leave and avoid the risk.

[CLErocks]

How does the thief get the information off of the card? Would it have to be someone that has access to the hotel computer?

I just had someone hack into my PayPal account and buy some video games. Luckily it wasn't a huge amount ($75) and PayPal is already crediting my account back.
Last month my sister's car was broken into and her purse was stolen. Classic case of leaving your purse in the car while at the gym. She learned the hard way. Within an hour of her purse being stolen, someone cashed 3 checks worth a total of $7000!

Always be careful, but especially in hard economic times, you will see a rise in these kinds of things.

[katbuad]

You know, I think I might be spreading junk information. I thought the guy sited a Federal Reserve Bank speech about id theft from hotel key cards and other sources. I went to look for it to post with the thread. But my search only turned up that Snopes was saying that it was all false.

Sorry guys. Apparently the instructor wasn't passing out the best information.

[Kristie]

I'd heard about that a year or so back....so now i just keep them and shred them at home.

what i heard was that the information is erased from occupant to occupant but while you're staying there, the info on name, address is still on the card. i'm not sure about credit card info though.....no idea why that would be on that little card that only opens a door.

i find it hard to believe that a training instructor would be giving bad information...their job is in training, they should know the goods.

[katbuad]

I have been emailing with the presentor, Eric Berman Deputy Comptroller for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, about some of the other information that he talked about durning his session. If I can work up the nerve and figure out the right way to word it, I will ask him about the source of his claims on identity theft and hotel key cards.