Travel Tips

Travel Tip: How to Avoid Hackers that Target Hotels

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Wing1990hk

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Wing1990hk

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Wing1990hk

I’ve reported on this before, but it’s time to check in again on hotels as targets for hackers.

Cyber thieves love hotels—and not just the front desk.

They target hotel spas, parking facilities, and anywhere there’s either WiFi or the opportunity for a credit card transaction.

Recent attacks have targeted nearly 250 Hyatt hotels, as well as some Starwood and Hilton properties.

So what can you do as travelers? A few things.

For starters, never use public WiFi in hotel lobbies for anything other than basic email.

That means no financial transactions. Save your online purchases for when you’re in your room.

Be sure to let your credit card company know if you’ll be traveling and list specific destinations.

Fortunately, some good news remains: under federal law, you’re still not responsible for unauthorized purchases.

But clever hackers don’t just go for big ticket items with your account number, but for smaller charges under $50, to avoid detection.

Keep in mind that you ARE responsible for reviewing your credit card statement, not just once a month, but every week.

Those little unauthorized—and often unnoticed—charges can really add up.

For more financial tips and information about travel scams, check out:

Keep reading for more travel tips.