Warning to those who stay in hotels

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:24 am

Just had this through Shell internal mail. As far as I know, it is 100% correct...

*************************************************

Colleagues

Whilst I do not have a substantiated report where this has happened - I have made enquiries to if it is technically true - which it is and worse. As we all travel extensively throughout the region, can I suggest you pass this on to all the Shell staff in your country and to other interested parties. This did come from the Kent Police in the UK

Ever wonder what is on your hotel 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!

Recommendations;
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 - in UK) 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! You can also use a small magnet and pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, if it does not work it erases everything on the card.

Information courtesy of: Kent Police

Best regards

(name removed)
Regional Security Adviser
Middle East and North Africa
Shell International
Dubai
UAE

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:35 am

This is a rumour that began on the internet several years ago. A quick search on Snopes brings up the following:

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

It looks like the one posted here is just a UK variation of the original US email rumour.

This type of hoax/scam/rumour is designed to clog-up email servers due to everyone sending it to all their friends/colleagues/family and IMHO is almost as bad as a virus. It looks like Shell have fallen for it!

Please don't go sending this to everyone and their dog!

If you're still paranoid about this, then feel free to destroy hotel key cards, but this definitely originated as an email rumour.

Cheers,
D

james · Post by **james** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:51 am

John, sorry but this cannot be true.

The hotels keep the information mentioned on their computer - they dont need to keep a copy on the room key. The keycard is just thrown into a container behind the desk ready for the next guest after you checkout.

I cannot believe that this information would be left stored on the card if they dont positively erase this info when you check out. This goes for the MANY hotels I stay in and by now there would be better practices in place if the keycard actually DID contain this information otherwise someone somewhere would have exploited it already and been caught.

Post by ed » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:57 am

John in gullible shocker!!!!

The_Rossatron · Post by **The_Rossatron** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:21 am

Sounds like one of those "OMG If you don't forward this to ten people Microsoft will shut down your hotmail account" emails

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:37 am

ed wrote:John in gullible shocker!!!!

mumble mumble mumble

Post by ed » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:41 am

was gunna say s1 owner in gullible shocker but would have got

mac · Post by **mac** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:42 pm

I thought it was going to be the one about the guy who goes round having a dump in the room kettles.

Mac

DDtB · Post by **DDtB** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:50 pm

mac wrote:I thought it was going to be the one about the guy who goes round having a dump in the room kettles.

Mac

I told you I don't do that anymore!!

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:43 pm

Oh and don't speak to that fit bird in the bar as you might wake up in a bath full of ice with no kidneys