Radisson hotel distributing Passport copies to staff
Sep 10, 2012, 1:33 am
#1
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Radisson hotel distributing Passport copies to staff
The other day I returned to a hotel I promised never to return to... A logistical nightmare put me there. Anyway I checked in late at night with the girlfriend, a couple days before the manager recieved my survey, and replied that when I come back everything will be better.. Well it wasn't.. Won't go into details. Wake up the next morning, and go to breakfast, on the way out of there I saw a paper on the ground by the entrance and noticed what looked like a copy of my passport and my girlfriend's passport. What do you know, it was!
Mind you we are in the middle east/Africa at a hotel full of shady staff, and some shady guests. All our information was on a piece of paper (with a bunch of arabic written on the back, I'm assuming it was recycled paper) Who knows if our passport pictures were recycled or the writing.
The GM had nothing to say. He offered to comp our (included breakfast) umm?? And refund the 9,000 gold points. Now as I travel quite a bit in some crazy regions, the risk of my passport information being compromised is too great. I will need to surrender my passport and drop about $170 for a new one, and she around 200 Euros. I'll lose all my visas etc.
I am beyond pissed, who knows how many copies of our passports are floating around out there. Any advice on how to follow up on this?
Mind you we are in the middle east/Africa at a hotel full of shady staff, and some shady guests. All our information was on a piece of paper (with a bunch of arabic written on the back, I'm assuming it was recycled paper) Who knows if our passport pictures were recycled or the writing.
The GM had nothing to say. He offered to comp our (included breakfast) umm?? And refund the 9,000 gold points. Now as I travel quite a bit in some crazy regions, the risk of my passport information being compromised is too great. I will need to surrender my passport and drop about $170 for a new one, and she around 200 Euros. I'll lose all my visas etc.
I am beyond pissed, who knows how many copies of our passports are floating around out there. Any advice on how to follow up on this?
Sep 10, 2012, 4:35 am
#2
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WOW, sounds horrible. Send an email to customer service, maybe even alert the local authorities, this is serious!
Just to comment on your thread title: maybe the hotel wasn't really distributing the copies to the staff but rather staff taking them for their own purpose. It doesn't make it better, all I am sayin is that other forces may be involved or responsible.
Another note: what is to be expected from a hotel that asks for only 9.000 points / free night?
Just to comment on your thread title: maybe the hotel wasn't really distributing the copies to the staff but rather staff taking them for their own purpose. It doesn't make it better, all I am sayin is that other forces may be involved or responsible.
Another note: what is to be expected from a hotel that asks for only 9.000 points / free night?
Sep 10, 2012, 4:53 am
#3
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Are you a CIA operative? MI5? Is your need for being hush-hush so much, you must get plastic surgery as well?
Certainly, it sounds like the location you stayed in had it's share of doofuses. If they wanted to compromise your security, you'd never know it. Perhaps the Arabic said something interesting, or gasp, something sinister. You saved it, of course?
Certainly, it sounds like the location you stayed in had it's share of doofuses. If they wanted to compromise your security, you'd never know it. Perhaps the Arabic said something interesting, or gasp, something sinister. You saved it, of course?
Sep 10, 2012, 9:30 am
#4
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Ohhhh I still have it! Just pretty crazy! I mean think you are with your GF/Wife on holiday and out of nowhere you see your full passport front page lying around.. I don't care if you are a spy or work at burger king, it's pretty creepy
Sep 11, 2012, 6:41 pm
#5
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Sep 11, 2012, 11:02 pm
#6
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Isn't it pretty standard practice in a lot of hotels outside of the US to make a photocopy of your passport at check-in?
Granted, this hotel was pretty sloppy but I never know what's being done with my passport once they've made a copy.
Isn't it entirely possible something sinister is happening each time without my knowledge?
Granted, this hotel was pretty sloppy but I never know what's being done with my passport once they've made a copy.
Isn't it entirely possible something sinister is happening each time without my knowledge?
Sep 11, 2012, 11:10 pm
#7
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It wasn't so long ago you left your passport with the front desk of European hotels for the duration of your stay, or certainly initially till they reported your details to the local constabulary.
Sep 12, 2012, 1:54 am
#8
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We had this case in Germany when an Israeli Mossad agent used the information from a German (living) citizen in his new passport to... This was found out however, of course, nothing is known what happened to the agent or the german citizen.
Sep 25, 2012, 8:18 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Passports are really secure travel documents. Particularly American and most European passports. I don't think there is any reason for you to replace them, as someone having a photocopy doesn't really compromise you in any way. No one is going to duplicate it based on that photocopy.
Besides, how many times have you seen them copy the passport at a hotel? Swipe it at airline checkin? Take a picture of it at an international border crossing? Tons of people have a copy of your passport biodata page, trust me. And if you're worried about identity theft, then switching passports won't help either -- the United States Government doesn't tell anyone besides its internal PIERS database who has which passports. I.e. someone could theoretically impersonate you with that photocopy just as easily if you got a new passport. We give a list of lost and stolen passports to international police authorities, but your passport wouldn't fall into that category. As crummy as this is that the hotel was using your passport photocopy as a notepad, I don't think this puts you at any particular risk.
Re the visas, most governments consider the visa in the old passport book to be valid when accompanied by your new passport book.
Besides, how many times have you seen them copy the passport at a hotel? Swipe it at airline checkin? Take a picture of it at an international border crossing? Tons of people have a copy of your passport biodata page, trust me. And if you're worried about identity theft, then switching passports won't help either -- the United States Government doesn't tell anyone besides its internal PIERS database who has which passports. I.e. someone could theoretically impersonate you with that photocopy just as easily if you got a new passport. We give a list of lost and stolen passports to international police authorities, but your passport wouldn't fall into that category. As crummy as this is that the hotel was using your passport photocopy as a notepad, I don't think this puts you at any particular risk.
Re the visas, most governments consider the visa in the old passport book to be valid when accompanied by your new passport book.
Sep 25, 2012, 10:02 am
#10
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I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just an honest question: what do you intend to accomplish by getting new passports? all the information will be exactly the same as your current one (which is in your possession), the only thing that may change (or not, depending on issuing country) is the passport number, which does not matter much anyway...
Sep 25, 2012, 12:10 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2001
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I travel all over the world and most hotels take a copy of my passport. Not to mention other offices (government, airlines, etc) who also take copies. There must be thousands of copies of my passport around. Don't be so worried about it. It is surprising but it isn't really any risk.
Sep 25, 2012, 12:34 pm
#13
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I just returned from Europe and recently went to the DMW to renew my driver's license - both copied my passport. I am more concerned with the DMW having a copy of my passport than the hotels I stayed at.
Sep 25, 2012, 4:29 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2
Nothing secure on your passport
I understand your indignation at finding a photocopy of your passport on the lobby floor. It's an insult to be just thrown away.
However there is really not much to glean from the identity page of a passport. Unless you are a hermit or a spy your name is generally public information. Your date of birth and place of birth may not be so well known but there is little harm to come from it being published. Look at a few Facebook and Myspace pages and you'll see people publish this information so they will get greetings on their birthday. The only secret information you may have is the dates of issue and expiration of your passport, - not very important data. Being realistic, the Raddison staff was given the photocopy to help recognize you and perhaps provide a higher level of personal service to you. They screwed up and lost the paper. Don't fret, no one is likely to be able to take out a loan in your name with the little information in your passport.
However there is really not much to glean from the identity page of a passport. Unless you are a hermit or a spy your name is generally public information. Your date of birth and place of birth may not be so well known but there is little harm to come from it being published. Look at a few Facebook and Myspace pages and you'll see people publish this information so they will get greetings on their birthday. The only secret information you may have is the dates of issue and expiration of your passport, - not very important data. Being realistic, the Raddison staff was given the photocopy to help recognize you and perhaps provide a higher level of personal service to you. They screwed up and lost the paper. Don't fret, no one is likely to be able to take out a loan in your name with the little information in your passport.
Sep 25, 2012, 4:30 pm
#15
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I'm always very reluctant to allow anyone to photocopy my passport. But there have been a number of instances where I've had to provide a copy of it for various identification purposes. And who knows where those copies end up ...
In this specific situation what I'd be more concerned with is if hotel staff took the copy ... and then combined that with information that could be obtained from an electronic reservation system ... they've got quite a bit of info on you. I can't think of any situation where (in person) someone would accept a copy of my passport (versus the original) but its possible that in some places that would be acceptable. I can only imagine opening a bank account in your name, etc etc etc
In this specific situation what I'd be more concerned with is if hotel staff took the copy ... and then combined that with information that could be obtained from an electronic reservation system ... they've got quite a bit of info on you. I can't think of any situation where (in person) someone would accept a copy of my passport (versus the original) but its possible that in some places that would be acceptable. I can only imagine opening a bank account in your name, etc etc etc