Hotel Key Cards: an ID Theft Threat?
For a little over five years, rumors have circulated the internet about hotel key cards potentially placing an identity theft threat. Are the rumors true? And if so, how can you protect yourself? We’ll explore ways key cards could be used against you–and how much of a risk they really pose.
Where the Concerns Started
The first whispers linking hotel key cards to possible identity theft date back to 2003, when warnings began circulating the internet via e-mail and websites. Concerns reportedly stemmed from Pasadena, CA, where a police detective leaked an internal theory that key cards might be encrypted with the user’s personal information. (Generally, they’re not–see below.)
At that time, it was pointed out that hotel key cards (as well as other identifying pieces, such as theme park admission cards) generally contain a metal strip. This strip is read for verification of an individual’s eligibility to attend a site, a performance or to gain entry to a hotel or motel room.
The fear was that since other metal strips, such as those on ATMs, could be hacked, so could hotel and other key cards.
It is worth nothing that the warning was always presented as just that–a warning–and that no solid basis (such as an indictment) was ever given for key card related worries.
Rumors are Initially Debunked
Mythbusting site snopes.com immediately went to work investigating the theory (in fact, snopes.com is credited with being the source to have traced the “warning” e-mails back to Pasadena, CA).
According to the website, representatives of the Pasadena Police Department insisted that the warnings were designed for detectives’ ears alone, but the information leaked to consumers before they could be evaluated for validity.
Fears (and Warnings) Resurface
However, recent identity theft crime watchers insist that there’s more to the story than whether or not it’s possible to steal an actual identity based on a hotel key card.
Though the cards almost certainly don’t hold the information they were previously feared to–such as the person’s social security number–theft could still occur if the cards land in the wrong hands, they insist.
Because purchasing tie-ins and certain rewards often come with stays in out-of-town areas, your money could still take a big hit, even if the criminal doesn’t have your PIN or social security number.
For instance, your card may not only get a criminal into a theme park, but could also reap him or her thousands of dollars worth of goodies inside depending upon what access choices you opted for, they say. All of these would then be billed to YOUR credit card–leaving you with a nasty surprise upon returning home.
But detractors claim despite such possibilities, the possibility of ID or plain old-fashioned theft is still small. The bigger risk is in the thief gaining access to the hotel room and taking more revealing records from there, such as a credit card left carelessly on the bed stand, they say.
Taking Care of Your Card
Some hotel cards have a small hole in one corner so the user may attach it to his or her keychain. This can help prevent loss of the card, which is often small, slim and might be put into and taken out of a pocked or purse multiple times in a given day.
If there is a serious concern about misuse of the card once it is returned to the establishment, keep your card and pay the fine. The $5 it costs you for non-return could save you a bigger loss in the end.
However, until more information is made available on the potential dangers of hotel key cards, try to relax. The odds of your identity being misused via a key card are much slimmer than, say, your ATM card being prowled. Take simple, commonsense precautions, sit back and enjoy your stay!
