Hotel Keycards Used As Credit Card Blanks For Stolen Numbers

from the no,-not-what-you're-thinking dept

The story about how hotels are putting your private info, including credit card data on the keycard used to open your room door has been proven as a myth many times over. It's even gotten so bad, that hotels are looking at alternative technology, just so they can stop explaining to people that there's no secret info on the keycards. Still, with that as background, it looks like some scammers are using hotel keycards -- but not in the way commonly discussed in the urban legend above. Instead, they're just using the keycards as if they were blank credit cards, allowing them to put stolen credit card info onto the cards. In other words, it's not about getting the credit card info of people staying at hotels, but being able to quickly clone stolen credit card info for use in places where clerks are unlikely to look at the card being swiped (convenience stores, for instance). It's kind of ingenious that criminals picked up on this -- and apparently it took police a while to recognize what was going on. However, when every prostitute and drug addict they arrested seemed to have a pile of hotel keycards on them, they began to suspect something was up. It's interesting to see this story come out on the same day as a study saying that credit card fraud is falling, mainly because of new security measures such as using smart chips and requiring the use of PINs to avoid fraud. It would seem that further use of both systems would effectively eliminate the use of hotel keycards as credit card blanks as well.
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  • identicon
    Dave, 6 Mar 2006 @ 11:35pm

    hrm

    Why would you need hotel keycards for blanks when you can buy blanks at ANY identification stores in bulk for cheap? Just search. You can also buy a printer for a few grand (it's cheap enough so that any guy with a criminal mindset can buy).

    How do you think colleges and high school make identification cards?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Nick, 6 Mar 2006 @ 11:43pm

      Re: hrm

      prostitutes, drug addicts != intelligent

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike (profile), 6 Mar 2006 @ 11:57pm

      Re: hrm

      Why would you need hotel keycards for blanks when you can buy blanks at ANY identification stores in bulk for cheap? Just search. You can also buy a printer for a few grand (it's cheap enough so that any guy with a criminal mindset can buy).

      I would imagine the point of this is that people are stealing the hotel keycards, or finding discarded ones... free is cheaper than "cheap."

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      mkam, 7 Mar 2006 @ 4:18am

      Stop this Threat

      I think a government-wide ban on hotel key cards is the only way this problem can be resolved. I am putting in a call to my representative right now.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Chris, 7 Mar 2006 @ 5:32am

        Re: Stop this Threat

        Ban the hotel keycards and use finger prints! Oh wait, that's another movie...

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Moogle, 7 Mar 2006 @ 6:44am

      Re: hrm

      Because "I travel a lot and like to keep souveniers" is a much more legitimate explanation than "I have ... uhm... a lot of doors to unlock..."

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Scooter, 7 Mar 2006 @ 1:34am

    not new

    I remember people doing this at least 10 years ago.. hardly something that has just been "picked up on"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 7 Mar 2006 @ 1:53am

      Re: not new

      prostitutes, drug addicts != intelligent
      Law enforcement, Mass media != intelligent.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Just Me, 7 Mar 2006 @ 5:32am

    Don't forget Step 3 !

    Step 1: Steal hotel keycards
    ??
    Step 3: Profit!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Brian, 7 Mar 2006 @ 6:42am

    No Subject Given

    From what I can see is that if you are caught with a whole bunch hotel room key cards, it does not look as suspicious as if you have a whole bunch of credit cards on you.

    I say we get rid of all credit cards and just go back to cash!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John, 27 Sep 2006 @ 3:58pm

    illinois amateur girls cum eating

    Sex is my life! I like it! interracial teen sex sites free unrestricted access no credit cards and I usually visit this site: hurricane amateur petite teen and my favourite: independent amatuer cum shots )) Good like!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    WhiteMarker, 6 Dec 2006 @ 4:20am

    I travel a lot and once desided to apply for hotel rewards credit card at www.bestcreditoffers.com/Hotel-Rewards-Card-Deals-889489-page.php I obtained Citi Hilton Hhonors Signature Visa with no annual fee 2.99 intro APR for 6 month. I can recommend it (based on my experiences with it)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    smart credit card user, 16 Jan 2007 @ 10:05pm

    For protection

    When you use a credit card to make a purchase, keep visual contact with your credit card.
    don't give your credit card number over the phone.
    Always check to make sure you receive your card back after you use it for a purchase.
    If you loose your card call the credit card company emmediatly and give your name, address, and account number.
    If your social security number was used fraudulently, report the problem to the Social Security Administration's Fraud hotline at 800-269-0271.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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