Guest Author - Katie Byrd
Identity theft is responsible for millions of dollars in losses each year for thousands of people. And, just when you think you know how to protect yourself, the thieves come up with new scams.
Once when my husband and I were attending a seminar, an ID thief read the names on our name tags, followed us to our room to get our hotel room number and charged a bunch of stuff to our room. We only found out when we went to check out. Naturally, we successfully disputed the charges. But, it could have turned out much worse.
Law enforcement detectives from Southern California have recently discovered the latest threat. According to sources at the F.B.I., that credit card type hotel key (the little piece of plastic you so casually turn into the desk or leave on your hotel room dresser) is sometimes embedded with your name, address, hotel room number, check in and check out date, as well as your credit card number and expiration date.
In the wrong hands, this is more than enough information for clever thieves to go on illegal shopping sprees, open new charge accounts or borrow money in your name. And that’s what they’re doing!
The problem is the hotel doesn’t erase the info on the cards until it’s issued to another guest. It just sits in a drawer at the front desk with your personal information on it for anyone to use. Like most good scams, it’s easy for an unethical hotel employee to scan the cards and use the information for their own benefit at your expense.
Whoever has access to the cards can even make some fast cash by selling the cards to an ID theft professional. There was a case, for example, where a car rental agency clerk sold copies of rental agreements to a crime ring. The thieves then used the information to open bank accounts, obtain credit cards and lines of credit in the names of the victims.
If you want to protect yourself from ID theft while on the road, always destroy your plastic hotel key after you check out. Never leave it behind and never turn it in at the desk. The cards are a cheap expense for the hotel, so you’ll never be charged for the missing key.
Articles you might also enjoy
A Debt Free Mentality
Paying Off Your Debt
Seven Simple Steps To Be Debt Free
Life's Coming Attractions
Learn From Other's Experience
For Abundance and Prosperity Newsletter, click here.
Click here for the site map.
To subscribe to the Abundance and Prosperity Newsletter, just enter your email address in the subscribe box at the bottom of this page.
