New email making the rounds-stating FEMA is the source

[Horse with no Name]

Subject: Hotel/Motel Keys

You know how when you check out of a hotel that uses the credit-card-type room key, the clerk often will ask if you have your key(s) to turn in...or there is a box or slot on the Reception counter in which to put them? It's good for the hotel because they save money by re-using those cards. But, it's not good for you, as revealed below.

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 formation 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 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 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!

Okay...I got this one today. This person works for FEMA in Denton, so at first I thought...well it might be true.
However, it is FALSE per Snopes.
Just a heads up that it is circulating.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp

[hobbit709]

1. large magnets work fine

[merwin]

2. The cards contain the room # and valid dates, period.

[Robert Oak]

3. wow!

Hot damn, yet another avenue for identity theft!

Thank you and thank whoever dug this one out.

[MrSlayer]

4. Hmm. I don't turn in my keys. They are customized and not reusable.

At least they are at Disney World and The Hard Rock Hotel in Florida.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. A hotel charged my sister when she lost a key card

but this says that is illegal. Is this a relatively new law?

[jmowreader]

7. It's not illegal

They're hotel property, and they cost a few dollars each. You can be charged for losing one.

Most places won't, but they can.

[belle]

6. Oh, purleeeze. That has "Good Times" all over it.