Hotels Listed As The Top Victim of Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud has run rampant over the years.
And if you thought that gas stations, restaurants and shopping malls are the only ones who are victimized by this scam, think again.
Even hotels - with their tight security and all -fall prey to this fraudulent act.
Now while some of us may think that the hotels are not on top of these hackers' hit list, you might want to reconsider that train of thought.
Based on a study that was conducted by Trustwave's SpiderLabs, hotels are subjected to credit card fraud 38 percent of the time.
Following them are financial services, retail stores, food chains, business services, technology, education and manufacturing establishments.
These results were gathered from a total of 218 investigations, coming from 24 countries.
The report also indicated that once the scam has been perpetrated, it takes about 156 days for the victimized establishment to realize that they have been hit.
The sad part here is that, by the time both the hotel and victim realized what has happened, the hackers would miles away reaping on the rewards of their actions.
So why do credit card thieves consider hotels to be more enticing of a target than any other types of establishments? Well, for one thing, hotels require you to pay an advance to cover for the rooms and the amenities you plan on using.
And since the amount for this fee is not that small, you will be forced to carry a rather huge sum in your person should you decide not to pay using your credit card.
Given the risks that come with using a credit card upon booking or checking in into a hotel, one has to wonder: what steps can we take to avoid falling victim to this fraudulent act.
Well, luckily, there are a number of ways for us to safely transact using our credit cards.
Take some of the tips below.
First, avoid giving out your credit card information to a stranger or a dubious web site.
Nowadays, hotels allow bookings to be done via the Internet or over the phone.
So make sure that the site you are visiting online or the number you just dialed are the legitimate contact information of the hotel you plan on staying with.
Second, be wary of "Phishing" sites.
These sites con people into thinking that they are actually the real deal by sending an e-mail bearing the name of the establishment.
The e-mail will have a message requesting for your personal information.
Once you reply, the information you placed will be sent to the criminal's Phishing site, enabling them to use the data for their personal needs.
So before you reach out and get your credit card to pay for your booking online or via the front desk, make sure you have got all the bases covered.
Get to know the hotels and the people you are dealing with.
That way, both you and the hotel you plan on staying in will not be another victim in long line of credit card fraud cases.
And if you thought that gas stations, restaurants and shopping malls are the only ones who are victimized by this scam, think again.
Even hotels - with their tight security and all -fall prey to this fraudulent act.
Now while some of us may think that the hotels are not on top of these hackers' hit list, you might want to reconsider that train of thought.
Based on a study that was conducted by Trustwave's SpiderLabs, hotels are subjected to credit card fraud 38 percent of the time.
Following them are financial services, retail stores, food chains, business services, technology, education and manufacturing establishments.
These results were gathered from a total of 218 investigations, coming from 24 countries.
The report also indicated that once the scam has been perpetrated, it takes about 156 days for the victimized establishment to realize that they have been hit.
The sad part here is that, by the time both the hotel and victim realized what has happened, the hackers would miles away reaping on the rewards of their actions.
So why do credit card thieves consider hotels to be more enticing of a target than any other types of establishments? Well, for one thing, hotels require you to pay an advance to cover for the rooms and the amenities you plan on using.
And since the amount for this fee is not that small, you will be forced to carry a rather huge sum in your person should you decide not to pay using your credit card.
Given the risks that come with using a credit card upon booking or checking in into a hotel, one has to wonder: what steps can we take to avoid falling victim to this fraudulent act.
Well, luckily, there are a number of ways for us to safely transact using our credit cards.
Take some of the tips below.
First, avoid giving out your credit card information to a stranger or a dubious web site.
Nowadays, hotels allow bookings to be done via the Internet or over the phone.
So make sure that the site you are visiting online or the number you just dialed are the legitimate contact information of the hotel you plan on staying with.
Second, be wary of "Phishing" sites.
These sites con people into thinking that they are actually the real deal by sending an e-mail bearing the name of the establishment.
The e-mail will have a message requesting for your personal information.
Once you reply, the information you placed will be sent to the criminal's Phishing site, enabling them to use the data for their personal needs.
So before you reach out and get your credit card to pay for your booking online or via the front desk, make sure you have got all the bases covered.
Get to know the hotels and the people you are dealing with.
That way, both you and the hotel you plan on staying in will not be another victim in long line of credit card fraud cases.