Just in case you don't know it yet
Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?
Answer: a. Customer's name b. Customer's partial home address c.
Hotel room number d. Check-in date and out dates e. Customer's credit
card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to 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 the information on these cards until
an employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time,
the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten"
on the card and the previous guest's 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 YOUR
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 wastebasket, and NEVER turn
them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not
charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not
leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be
easily lifted off with any simple 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 courtesy of: Pasadena Police Department
** I personally have a small magnet and pass it across the magnetic
strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It
erases everything on the card.
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Be careful how you list names on your cell phone!
This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag which contained her mobile, credit card, purse...etc.... was stolen. 20 minutes later when she called her Husband, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says "I've Just received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago."
When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The pickpocket had actually used the stolen hand phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from the bank account.
Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, sweetheart, Dad, Mom etc....... And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked thru texts, CONFIRM by calling back.
Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere , be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.
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When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The pickpocket had actually used the stolen hand phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from the bank account.
Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, sweetheart, Dad, Mom etc....... And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked thru texts, CONFIRM by calling back.
Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere , be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.
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