Be Aware - Hotel Room Door Lock Plastic Insert Cards

[MORTARDUDE]

http://www.rense.com/general46/beawarehotelroom.htm

Be Aware - Hotel Room Door
Lock Plastic Insert Cards
By Laura Quarantiello
lauraq@cox.net
(c) Tiare Publications Group
12-21-3

Bet you've never given a second thought to those plastic insert keys to your room you're given when you register at a hotel or motel these days. Law enforcement officers in California made an unsettling discovery during a recent investigation into an identity theft case. A card key (from the Double Tree Hotel) had encoded on it the customer's name, partial home address, room number, check in/out dates, credit card number and expiration date!

This may not seem to be a problem until you realize that, once you turn the key in when you check out your personal information is available for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a handful of cards home and, using a scanning device, access your information and then go shopping at your expense!

Hotel room key cards are kept in a drawer at the front desk and are not erased until the card is re-issued to a new guest. This means your personal information is sitting there, just waiting to be taken.

David Wolf, a deputy DA with the Kern County District Attorney's Office suggests you never leave your key card behind. Don't turn it in at the front desk when you check out. Instead, take it with you and destroy it. You won't be charged for the card and you'll have protected yourself from this potential leakage of your personal data.

About the Author
Laura Quarantiello is the author of the book "On Guard - How to Win the War Against the Bad Guys" - your personal guide to safety and security for yourself, family and property.

Click below for more info
http://www.tiare.com/onguard.htm

Crime Prevention Articles By Laura Quarantiello
http://www.tiare.com/c_crime.htm