Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Got this from an IT person and do not know if it is accurate, but something to be aware of if your hotel uses the electronic keys, in lieu of the old fashioned metal ones.
In any case if you do not return the electronic key, no information is recorded, EXCEPT on the hotel computer, where it will be anyway!!!!!
Oh well, back to metal keys and cash/gold/diamonds, etc. !!!!!!
*********************************
A REAL eyeopener !
For those who travel, or those special ones who use the room for a few
hours!
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 a
major hotel chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation was found to contain the following the information:
* Customers (your) name
* Customers partial home address
* Hotel room number
* Check in date and check out date
* Customers (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 hand full 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 these cards until an employee issues the
card to the next hotel guest. It is usually kept in a drawer at the
front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!
The bottom line is, keep the cards or destroy them! NEVER leave them
behind and NEVER turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a
room. They will not charge you for the card
In any case if you do not return the electronic key, no information is recorded, EXCEPT on the hotel computer, where it will be anyway!!!!!
Oh well, back to metal keys and cash/gold/diamonds, etc. !!!!!!
*********************************
A REAL eyeopener !
For those who travel, or those special ones who use the room for a few
hours!
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 a
major hotel chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation was found to contain the following the information:
* Customers (your) name
* Customers partial home address
* Hotel room number
* Check in date and check out date
* Customers (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 hand full 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 these cards until an employee issues the
card to the next hotel guest. It is usually kept in a drawer at the
front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!
The bottom line is, keep the cards or destroy them! NEVER leave them
behind and NEVER turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a
room. They will not charge you for the card
