Protect your credit card information...

[brianw999]

You know those hotel keycards that work on a magnetic strip swipe basis rather than a good old metal key ?

They have the room number code on them to open your door....

....and they also have your name, first line of your address, your credit card number and the length of your stay at the hotel.

When you check out you hand the card back , yes ?
It then goes into a pile of other cards and does not get the information wiped until it gets used again with new info on it. Anyone in the hotel can get access to it so here's a few tips which came from my local police anti-fraud unit.

1. When you go out of the hotel take the card with you. Don't leave it at reception.

2. When you check out you have three choices.
a. Take the card with you.
b. Insist on seeing the card wiped before you leave.
c. Carry a small magnet in your baggage and rub it several times
along the magnetic strip. This will wipe the information.

( CAUTION ! DON'T LET THIS MAGNET GET ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR BANK/CREDIT CARDS !! )

All helps in the fight against credit card crime.

[474218]

All you say is true but how do you defence what happen to me. My mail carrier stole my, and at least 60 other people on her route, credit card information.

[EconomyClass]

Not sure how the info got stolen, but it might be a good reason to stop having statements mailed to you. I stopped paper statements a long time ago. Good reason to go to direct deposit for checks mailed to you, too.

[SYDCBRWOD]

Funny you mention paper statements... This guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale came out and gave our company a lecture on identity theft (I currently work in a finance industry). Fascinating bloke. One thing he always does is shred all documents/envelopes that contain any personal details including such basic info as your name and address.

He advocates using credit cards, because providing you stick with the rules (keep the card in sight, don't write down your pin number etc) the credit card companies indemnify you against loss and will replace your compromised card.

[AA 1818]

Funny you mention paper statements... This guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale came out and gave our company a lecture on identity theft (I currently work in a finance industry). Fascinating bloke. One thing he always does is shred all documents/envelopes that contain any personal details including such basic info as your name and address.

He advocates using credit cards, because providing you stick with the rules (keep the card in sight, don't write down your pin number etc) the credit card companies indemnify you against loss and will replace your compromised card.

Also, the legendary Mr. Abagnale was the inspiration behind "Catch Me If You Can...".

[AA 1818]

Oh, and I would like to go on record to state that (as much as I adore Brian), this information is completely false. I work in the Hospitality industry and can assure everyone here that key cards do not contain any further information past room numbers and dates (date of departure). I often assign keys to guests and am in full control of my key writer, and believe me, that is all that is ever written onto a card. I will let you in on a not so widley shut secret - your cards have a magnetic backing. Magents are common on some money clips as well as most cellphones/I-pods. Often, when guests hold their keys next to any of the above, they de-magnetize their keys and are forced to come back to the front desk to have another key made. Now, for those that still want to hold to the myth, carry a magnet with you, and you can demagnetize the key yourself, but I assure you, that once you depart (and the key expires) it rarely holds any information at all. Even then, the most that we can get out of it, as I have said before - is room number and date. This myth has been around for a very long time, and perhaps, in the beginning of key-card inception, this was the case. However, I can assure you that this is not the case among major hotel chains at the moment (Hilton, Mariott et al). The only way that a person can access such person information about a guest is via the secured server on which all information is held.

[brianw999]

Oh well...that fucks that argument then !!

[DAIRD]

Protect the credit cards from your wifes!