Hotel Room Key Cards...Do You Return Them When You Check Out?
 

I just received an email from my TravelAgent.The text quotes Sgt K. Jorge,Pasadena Police Department.In a recent study to detect new threats to personal security issues it was discovered what information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used throughout the industry.A key obtained from a "well known" hotel chain property being used for an Identity Theft Presentation was found to contain the following:
a. Guest's name
b. Guest's partial home address
c. Guest's credit card number and expiration
date
When you turn the key in to the front desk,any employee has access to that information.Any employee can take a handful of the cards and access the information simply thru a scanner.How nice! A shopping spree on you!! The information is not erased until the employee issues the card to the next guest.Usually the cards are handy in a drawer at the front desk.His advice,bottom line, is keep the card,destroy it.Never leave them behind ot turn them in.His information indicates the hotel will not charge you for the card.
Anybody had any experience with this?Olive Oyl, would you charge a guest for the card?

The front desk staff already has access to all that personal information, on the computers used for checkin. The possibility that information COULD be taken from the cards is probably real, but it makes lots of sense to ask here about whether it has actually happened.

I'm especially skeptical since the report you cite was based on card-based info and was provided without a single supporting anecdote or incident that this has ever really happened.

I think this is a good example of over-reaction. Just like in a restaurant or any store. Any employee could go to the day's receipts and copy down all your information and do a shopping spree as well. But is it a real problem? Rarely!!

If a hotel employee wanted to do a "shopping spree" there are easier ways than to use your key card.

hoax!

http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar...l_keycards.htm

Learn what Detective Sergeant Kathryn Jorge of Pasadena really says.

No, I always keep mine as souvenirs. And my son who is also a cop agrees that it is a hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp

provides more technical info on use of card-keys

I am totally, totally embarassed that I didn't think to check with Snopes on this one.

I love Snopes! A friend sent me a long email telling me that her address book was infected with a Teddy bear virus, she had infected all of her friends, much wailing and weeping.
Good old Snopes said - Hoax!
I always try that first before reacting to stories that people tell that I have no real knowledge of.

BeachBoi, you might think of changing travel agents!