Only Provide Your Credit Card Information to the Hotel at the Front Desk
There are so many credit card frauds out there now that it’s hard to protect your plastic. Start by learning about when it is a bad idea to share your credit card information over the phone.
We’re a little used to stealing or stealing data from ATM skimmers; In fact, this is how my credit card numbers have always been stolen in the past. But there are still old-fashioned scammers who will call you and commit the classic theft, as happened to a woman named Kim who shared her story with The Points Guy. Kim ordered breakfast at her Marriott hotel. Shortly thereafter, she received a call, allegedly from the hotel staff, and was told that they needed to re-launch her card because there was a problem with the order:
It sounded a little suspicious, but the caller knew my name, room number, that I ordered breakfast, and the exact amount to be charged from the room. I didn’t want to go downstairs to personally give them my card, since I was working, so I gave the information over the phone. Minutes later, Amex called and texted about an alleged $ 211 scam for Hickory Farms.
Kim was lucky to have her bank at the top, but she was haunted by the thought that other people had been cheated. After filing the incident report with the hotel, they said that the employee was probably working as a fraudster on the side, as this is the only way to gain access to the internal telephone system.
So, what can you do to avoid something so compelling?
Go down to the front desk
In general, if there is an opportunity to do something personally, do it. It’s hard to say what the scammer would have had if Kim told her she would do it at the front desk. They would probably just thank her and move on to the next mark and she would be safe. Even if it’s annoying, put extra effort and go downstairs just in case.
Be careful with the calls you receive
In general, if someone calls you and asks for your credit card details, it’s a red flag:
A good general rule of thumb is to never share personal information with a stranger in a conversation you haven’t initiated – this includes email and phone calls.
Kim’s scammers were successful because they had so much inside information. However, it is always wise to remember to treat callers with caution. You don’t really know who that person on the other line is, even if he seems normal. If something seems even a little wrong, trust your gut and ask if you can hang up and call customer service to fix the problem. If they object, it really is a sign that things are not how they should be.
I gave the scammer my credit card number – Reader Error History | The points guy