Traveling Alert

Duped by credit card scam upon check in at Hotel

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking
in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for
your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front
desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).

Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other
end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we
came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read
me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the
reverse side of your charge card.

Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since
the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam
of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random

room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information.
Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.

If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller
that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then,
go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none,
inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your
credit card information acting like a front desk employee.

If you feel that the tips are useful, please forward it to your relatives, friends & colleague.

Subject: International Airport @ X country

Folks, be warned and be really careful, check the items you bought and
give back what does not belong to you even when the shop assistants
claimed it's 'free'. I believe the duty free shop assistants would also
get a share........so, be very, very careful. Read below

My Dept. secretary informed on this. Her cousin was detained in Bangkok
for stealing a box of cigarettes in a duty-free shop in Bangkok
International Airport .

He had paid for chocolates and a carton of cigarettes. The cashier put a
packet of smokes into his bag and he thought it was a free pack.

He was arrested for shop-lifting and the Thai Police extortion price was
equivalent to RM30, 000 for his release. He spent two nights in jail and paid RM50 for
an air-con cell, 200-300 baht for each visitor, and RM11,000 for his
final release.

The Police shared the money in front of his eyes. On top of that, he was
charged in court and fined RM2,000 by the magistrate and handcuffed and
escorted to his plane.

His passport was stamped "Thief". While there, his relatives requested
help from the Malaysian Embassy and was told that they are helpless, as
Malaysians are victimised similarly daily and letters and phone-calls to
the Thai Authorities are ignored. He shared a cell with a Singaporean
the 1st night who paid RM60,000 for his release.The 2nd night was an
Indian national who paid USD70,000. Mind you this is not in a shag
downtown Bangkok but in a duty free shop in Bangkok 's Int'l
Airport. Please share this experience with all your friends.