The sheer quantity of identity thefts perpetrated each day in the United States has prompted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to create a category for this crime on their new Scam Source website. It is also one of the categories for their top scams of 2011.
Identity theft victims are not generally a recognized culture but certainly once someone has had their identity stolen they handle future financial situations differently from those untouched by identity theft but similarly to those that have been affected by the loss of their individuality.
BBB reports the scam is so prevalent that many hotels are posting warnings in their lobby. Here is how they say it works: You get a call in your hotel room in the middle of the night. It’s the front desk clerk, very apologetic, saying their computer has crashed and they need to get your credit card number again, or they must have gotten the number wrong because the transaction won’t go through, and could you please read the number back so they can fix the problem?
If you are sleepy enough to comply without thinking it through, they will have your credit card charged up to its limit by the time you wake up.
Business travelers are especially likely to this scam because of their long hours and general lack of sleep during their road warrior trips.
Anytime your hotel needs your personal information take the time to walk to the lobby to give it to them. Any reputable hotel will wait until morning if necessary, particularly because they have other information with which to identify you.
The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan is a non-profit organization assisting in the protection of consumers and businesses from fraud and unethical business practices. They are a recognized dispute resolution service. Consumers can contact BBB for reports on the customer service history of more than 80,000 local businesses or for consumer education materials. Its services are free to the public and its service territory includes 40 counties within the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula of the state.
Building your Business Development library:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleby Stephen R. Covey
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell
- The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Successby Brian Tracy
- The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan: How to Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Get Immediate Results
- Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers
Additional resources for you:
- Blog: The Anecdotal Leader, a leadership blog
- Book: Life’s Leadership Lessons 53 anecdotal leadership lessons. Paperback, e-book, Kindle.
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