Hotel Key Cards
This information came to me and I am passing it on to you.
"Ever wonder what is on your magnetic HOTEL 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".
"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".
"I personally have a small magnet and pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card".
I hope this information was helpful.