A new study released this year may give you a little extra anxiety to mull over just as you’re gearing up for that big summer vacation – hotels are not a safe spot for your credit card information.
The New York Times reports that 38% of credit card hacking cases last year involved the hotel industry, according to a study done by Spiderlabs, which is part of the data-security consulting company Trustwave. Credit card hacking in the financial services industry stood at 19%, retailing at 14.2%, and restaurants and bars, once the leader, is now at 13%. Clearly the hotel industry sector is far more vulnerable.
ABC News reported that Destination Hotels and Resorts, a luxury hotel chain in such cities as Washington D.C., Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Houston, had an estimated 700 credit card numbers stolen, which totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. That’s around $2,000 to $3,000 from each card.
This is what happens when precious information is incompetently protected. The report also comes two years after the Russian mafia made out with 8 million customer credit card records from 1,312 Best Western Hotels in Europe.
Because you can’t really make hotel data more secure (unless that is your job), the best defense against credit card theft is of course to be cautious and attentive. Actively monitoring your card activity and checking your credit report regularly is the easiest way to contend with hackers. If suspiciously random charges show up call the credit card company. You won’t get stuck with your tail between your legs if you quickly notify them of the theft.
Another easy precaution: shred everything.
You can check your credit report on a regular basis and receive a free credit report and score using Quizzle.com. And if you’d rather something else do the work for you, sign up for a credit monitoring service for as low as $3 per month that will alert you to important changes in your credit profile.
For more tips and tools to help you manage your home, money and credit – including the most affordable credit monitoring on the web and complete identity theft protection – visit Quizzle.com.
More from the Quizzle Wire:
- Credit Card Companies Find New Ways to Charge Consumers
- 5 Dangerous Money Pitfalls to Avoid
- 5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
- Personal Finance 101: Credit Cards
- The Pros and Cons of Paperless Billing
Important! Your hotel door key card has much personal info implanted on it by the hotel. CARRY A SMALL MAGNET WITH YOU and drag it over the back of the card to remove all your info BEFORE turning it in to the front desk; leaving no info on it to be stolen.