Swipe here to steal ID!

[Zim Hosein]

If Peter Wallace?s recent experience with hotel access cards is an indicator, leaving your electronic hotel room key behind when you check out could leave you open to identity theft.

Wallace, IT director at AAA Reading-Berks in Wyomissing, Penn. has been bringing a card reader with him on business trips to see what's on the magnetic strips of his hotel room access cards. To his dismay, a surprising number have contained his name and credit card information - and in unencrypted form.

What?s scary is how easy it is for even a novice to steal this information. He says he bought a $39 card reader at a local retail store and plugged it into his laptop's USB port. Now when he scans a card, the device inputs the data directly into an open Excel or Word document.

I asked Wallace how often he finds his personal data on the cards. ?Certain chains have that information [on their cards]. I?ve noticed it on three different chains,? he says. While he declined to name specific hotels, he says the most recent incident occurred in June at a resort. In that hotel the magnetic strip yielded his credit card information, street address and full name.

Wallace adds that not all hotels are a problem. For example, a scan of a card at a Disney resort came up with a series of garbled numbers and letters. ?It looks like just junk on the card. But it ties back that information to their computer systems,? he says.

To be safe, the next time you check out of a hotel take your access card with you and shred it when you get home, Wallace advises. He admits to even having considered taking a shredder with him on some trips. ?The thought has crossed my mind. I?m a paranoid S.O.B. because I know the tricks that are out there,? he says.

Swipe here to steal ID :Q

 

[Tommunist]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

If Peter Wallace?s recent experience with hotel access cards is an indicator, leaving your electronic hotel room key behind when you check out could leave you open to identity theft.

Wallace, IT director at AAA Reading-Berks in Wyomissing, Penn. has been bringing a card reader with him on business trips to see what's on the magnetic strips of his hotel room access cards. To his dismay, a surprising number have contained his name and credit card information - and in unencrypted form.

What?s scary is how easy it is for even a novice to steal this information. He says he bought a $39 card reader at a local retail store and plugged it into his laptop's USB port. Now when he scans a card, the device inputs the data directly into an open Excel or Word document.

I asked Wallace how often he finds his personal data on the cards. ?Certain chains have that information [on their cards]. I?ve noticed it on three different chains,? he says. While he declined to name specific hotels, he says the most recent incident occurred in June at a resort. In that hotel the magnetic strip yielded his credit card information, street address and full name.

Wallace adds that not all hotels are a problem. For example, a scan of a card at a Disney resort came up with a series of garbled numbers and letters. ?It looks like just junk on the card. But it ties back that information to their computer systems,? he says.

To be safe, the next time you check out of a hotel take your access card with you and shred it when you get home, Wallace advises. He admits to even having considered taking a shredder with him on some trips. ?The thought has crossed my mind. I?m a paranoid S.O.B. because I know the tricks that are out there,? he says.

Swipe here to steal ID :Q

i seem to recall this being a hoax. why would they need to (or want to) put all that info on the card?

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/keycards.htm

 

[KLin]

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

 

[Kelemvor]

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

Doh, too slow.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Sep 19 2005 - 5:20pm

 

[Tommunist]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Sep 19 2005 - 5:20pm

that doesn't make it true. again - why would they want to put all of that information on the card when it's not required? it would be a foolish risk for the hotel to take with no real gain.

 

[Ipno]

Wallace, IT director at AAA Reading-Berks in Wyomissing, Penn.

We should trust him, he's an IT director.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Tommunist

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Sep 19 2005 - 5:20pm

that doesn't make it true. again - why would they want to put all of that information on the card when it's not required? it would be a foolish risk for the hotel to take with no real gain.

Read the first comment to the article

 

[RadiclDreamer]

I work for a hotel that uses these, its a toal hoax, but crap like this causes people to walk off with our card keys which are only a few $$ each but it gets expensive after a while

 

[Tommunist]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Tommunist

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Sep 19 2005 - 5:20pm

that doesn't make it true. again - why would they want to put all of that information on the card when it's not required? it would be a foolish risk for the hotel to take with no real gain.

Read the first comment to the article

If this is actually happening anywhere I can't see why it would become widespread.

why would the hotel or the stores want you to use the hotel card to make purchases (outside of the hotel) when you could just use your credit card (a less complicated transaction).

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

hoaxy hoaxy hoaxy

 

[zerocool1]

you can hack the infrared at hotels to find out what people in other rooms are watching or open the bar.

 

[Triumph]

I travel alot so this is important to me. I usually believe Snopes, and have been leaving the keys in the room/throwing them away, but here you have a guy actually swiping the cards and finding information? That sucks.

 

[Rubycon]

Just bring a good magnet with you...

Hard disks have powerful magnets in them and these will kill the strip instantly.

Just be sure to keep them away from YOUR credit cards hehehe!

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Are you guys not listening at ALL!? I work IT for a hotel that uses these, the only thing that is put on the card is your room number and the duration of the unlocking period. How they are able to use the cards as a pay method is because it charges to your room through the PMS

 

[knyghtbyte]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Are you guys not listening at ALL!? I work IT for a hotel that uses these, the only thing that is put on the card is your room number and the duration of the unlocking period. How they are able to use the cards as a pay method is because it charges to your room through the PMS

yep, no need for the card to contain payment information, the card is simply linked to your room for the duration of your stay, if you go to the bar or restaurant you can hand them your card to swipe and add it to your bill.....it would be pointless to have your credit card or personal information on the card, i wouldnt mind betting that it would be illegal too....from the Credit Card Agency point of view.....