Credit Card Scam Targets Hotel Guests

Don't let this keep you awake at night, but it's worth remembering that while you're snoozing, scam artists are wide awake, thinking up new ones to separate you from your money.

The Better Business Bureau of East Texas has alerted us to a new scam that's plaguing hotels and their guests in that part of the world.

It seems the scammers are waking up hotel guests in the middle of the night and agetting their credit card information over the phone.

The caller typically calls a slumbering guest and indicates he's a hotel employee and the hotel computer system has crashed. In order to complete the nightly hotel audit, the caller says, he must have your credit card number.

Many times, the caller also offers a discount on the room for the inconvenience. These callers are very convincing, and many hotel guests fall for this scam. 

Whether the scam artist is actually a guest in the hotel or whether the calls are coming from outside the hotel and has obtained the direct number to each room has not yet been determined.

So next time you're staying in a hotel, remember not to provide credit card information over the phone during your stay. If there is ever a problem with billing, the hotel staff will handle it at the front desk and not over the phone.