Scam of the Week A Good Reminder Before Spring Break

Once again, the Muskego Police Department has passed along a 'top ten' scam from the Better Business Bureau’s 2011 list.

Top Identity Theft Scam: There are a million ways to steal someone’s identity. This one has gotten so prevalent that many hotels are posting warnings in their lobby.

Here is how it works: You get a call in your hotel room in the middle of the night. It is 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 will not go through. They politely ask if could you please read the number back so they can fix the problem.

In actuality, scammers are counting on you being too sleepy to catch on that the call is not from the hotel at all, but from someone outside who knows the direct-dial numbers for the guest rooms.

Best practice is to tell the 'clerk' on the other end that you will be right over to have them rerun your card in person. Chances are they will be surprised to see you, but a little lost sleep on one night is better than many nights wondering how you will recover your lost identity.