I got this email, messed up!

[babygurl]

From the California Bureau of Investigation:

"Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new
threats to personal security issues, recently discovered what type of
information
is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used throughout the
industry.

Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from a well
known hotel chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation
was found to contain the following the information:

a.. Customers (your) name
b.. Customers partial home address
c.. Hotel room number
d.. Check in date and check out date
e.. Customer's (your) 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,
acc! ess 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

[babygurl]

SCENE 1. This is a new one.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker.
Hmmmmm." He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.

A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000!

He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.

"No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch h! ad been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.

Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for it ems he did not buy? $9,000! Why we! re there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a "warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!

SCENE 2. A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along.

Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person. He calle d the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No e! xchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.

Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet is yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, "assuming! " that it has to be theirs. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!

SCENE 3: Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.

The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, obliviou! s to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.

He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.

Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact t hat this boy just took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened. Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.

All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these days.

When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there.

The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them .

FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF.
LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! JUST BE AWARE

[The Golden Child]

wow thats crazy good looking out ..

[Julio]

old news..

[DC2girl]

Damn thats fucked up!!! I usually keep them anyways just because I always forget. :) Thanks for the lookout!

[civic95]

its a HOAX.


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

[babygurl]

Good Find!

[SwurvinIn]

its a HOAX.


http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp
your kidding right? whats hoax about that?

[The Ren]

The whole point of this is just beware what you do with your card...