Some
wise person once noted that to take precautions is better than dealing
with regret. When it comes to your personal bank account numbers, credit
card details and other sensitive identifying information, being
proactive against theft is easier and less time-consuming than repairing
the damage after the fact. In recent years, hotels have become a target
of several schemes to steal from unsuspecting visitors. If you’re a
traveler or planning a vacation away from home, this is one situation
where prevention is like having a cheap and effective insurance policy
against theft. Scenario #1 – A caller rings your hotel room late at night claiming to be a front desk hospitality receptionist. But it’s not an employee but a scam artist who then tells you that the hotel computer system has crashed and they need you to provide your credit card information. As a courtesy for the inconvenience and interruption, there’s no need to come down to the desk; they’ll accept the information over the phone.
The calls are to random room numbers and usually late at night when the night clerk will be less likely to ask for the guest’s name. The scammers may be a part of a sophisticated international ring or in the next room. While most hotels require outside callers to provide both the guest’s name and room number before connecting them to the room, a less than meticulous clerk may not stick to the rules and give out the number. In addition, calls made within the hotel can be dialed directly, bypassing the desk.
Prevention – Never give out personal information over the phone to anyone, regardless of how official they may sound. If you receive a call while staying in a hotel, refuse to provide it except in person at the front desk. Hang up and immediately visit the front desk to either provide the requested information or to report the attempted scam. Some hotels are also instigating new procedures that require every call to go through the front desk, including room-to-room calls.
Scenario #2 – Even more insidious and harder to detect is what is called a Wi-Fi scam. Using a Wi-Fi USB device, the thief sets up a strong Internet hotspot signal nearby using the hotel’s name. Hotel visitors who use Wi-Fi to access the Internet through a laptop, cell phone or other device may unknowingly sign on to the fake server allowing the thief access to everything they do. In addition, they can use a free program to grab usernames and passwords. An unsuspecting victim would have no idea that they were connected through the thief's laptop, opening up the way for login credentials, credit card numbers and other sensitive information to be captured and used to steal their identity and do extensive damage.
Prevention – Never accept the strongest signal assuming it’s the hotel’s secure connection. Always ask for the hotel’s network name before check-in and especially before attempting to connect through Wi-Fi.
Scenario #3 – This is one smooth scam! Slipped under your hotel room is a pizza flyer advertising free delivery to your room for fraction of the cost of room service. You place your order, giving your credit card information as payment, and never get your order. But you can be sure you credit card is now being maxed by the thief.
Prevention – Unless you’ve picked up the flyer personally, never trust anything thrust under your door. Most hotels offer a list of trustworthy, local restaurants for their visitors to patronize.
Scenario #4 – One of the oldest scams used to grab your personal information is known as skimming. The crime is perpetrated by an employee who has possession of your credit card and steals the information from the mag stripe by swiping it on a hidden reader used specifically for this purpose. Your card number is sold to a theft ring that then sells it multiple times. Skimming devices may also be located in strategic places where legitimate readers are located like at cash registers and ATMs.
Prevention – Be aware of your environment at all times when swiping your card. Never allow your card out of your sight, no matter how trustworthy the clerk may appear. Personally walk it to the register to make the payment.
Scenario #5 – Hackers are even fooled by this latest scam called juice jacking. With the prevalence of items that require charging, kiosks have been set up in tourist areas, hotels, airports and other spots where large crowds gather. They offer a convenient way to get a quick charge when your battery runs lows. But hackers may have hijacked the kiosk to steal sensitive information directly from your cell phone or other programmed technology.
Prevention – At this point in time, the security at public kiosks make them highly untrustworthy. Until new prevention measures are in place, it’s best to avoid using them.
These are just some of the latest schemes that may put you at risk. Always keep in mind that new tricks are always being devised to take what belongs to you. The first step in staying protected is to learn what tactics are being used and how you can prevent becoming the next victim. Keep all of your security software updated and running. Immediately report any fraudulent activity to local police, as well as to the involved parties –credit card companies, banks, merchants, etc. – to help in the effort by law enforcement to stay ahead of the scams.
A staff writer at asapcreditcard.com, Noreen Ruth is a regular contributor to a wide variety of finance-related blogs and websites. She specializes in credit cards and debt-related issues and enjoys educating consumers about the latest rules and regulations, as well as ways to build, improve and maintain good credit.
