Travel Tips – Hotel Card Keys
We received an email from a colleague who was incensed about a potential risk of credit card theft from boomers and seniors. She thought we should know about it. Her heart was in the right place when she sent this to us, but the information is wrong. Here is the email we received...
From the Colorado 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.
Ever wonder what is on your 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 reissues 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 into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it is 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!
If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.
Information courtesy of: Sergeant K. Jorge,
Detective Sergeant
Our analysis and report
Seems very plausible and we understand why someone would send this information to us.
So, we did some investigating and found out the information in this message is inaccurate and misleading because modern hotels DO NOT include any sensitive personal information on key cards.
This article arose in 2003 on Bend.com and the officer named in the email, Detective Sergeant Jorge of the Pasadena Police Department was quoted as explaining:
In years past, existing software would prompt the user (employee) for information input. If the employee was unaware of hotel policy dictating that such information NOT be entered, it could have ended up on the card in error.
The email started to circulate in 2003, and the potential security threat began to spread rapidly before investigations into the matter where concluded. The Pasadena Police Department were amazed at how quickly this unfounded urban legend spread once it got out onto the internet.
The fact is, hotel key cards will actually increase privacy and safety because they are more secure than traditional room access systems.
The real risks
Vigilance is always necessary, but in the case of hotel card keys, entirely misdirected. Hotel key cards are secure because there is nothing on it thieves can use.
However, anyone who stays in a hotel, or conducts transaction with ANY organization that accepts credit cards runs the risk of an employee potentially stealing their credit card. There are stories of waiters who have their own card readers who will run cards through them as well as the restaurant's machine. Hotel clerks, retail clerks, and others have similar opportunities to grab credit card numbers.
As long as a card is used, there is a potential risk.
So does that mean a card should be tucked away and never used again? We think that idea is draconian and completely impractical in today’s world. A credit card is needed to reserve a hotel room, a car, or to make many purchases. It isn’t possible to keep your credit card number secret from absolutely everyone. Otherwise, what would be the point of credit cards? The number must be shared for any purchase to be transacted.
Most organizations have very effective security measures in place. Be sure to add personal vigilance by checking credit card statements every month for accuracy and immediately inquire about any unfamiliar transactions. This practice dramatically limits an already small risk.
We hope you enjoyed this article. Happy Travelling.
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