I received this e-mail from a friend. I called Hilton Corporate to confirm or deny. They specifically said that all of their brands use different card machines, but some card systems do employ this technology. I will be keeping and destroying all of my cards from now on.

My 1st Post!

CredenzaQ

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.



Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained

from the "Double Tree" chain that was being used for a regional

Identity Theft Presentation was found to contain the following

the information:



a.. Customers (your) name

b.. Customers partial home address

c.. Hotel room number

d.. Check in date and check out date

e.. Customer's (your) 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

handful 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 re-issues 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 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!