Sending CC details over email

purplepardalis

Hi Guys

I have contacted the hotel that I've booked as part of a holiday to arrange a room upgrade.

They have asked for CC card number and exp date to book the upgrade and for me to send this by email.

Is this ok or am I likely to open myself up for fraud? I know they won't be able to buy online due to the third stage security on there but they could use it another way I guess?

Am I being a bit paranoid?

anotherpaul_2

Personally, I wouldn't email my card details (unless encrypted). Fax is probably better.

Can you not phone them with it?

battyboimatt

Its not the Island House for men is it lol, I know when I booked with them I had to email my detials over, not had any problems thouh and I booked that last year

purplepardalis

It's a pretty big hotel and part of a worldwide chain. I think I'll do it. Even if i did it over the phone they could still take the numbers down I suppose.

I don't suppose this person would risk their job

*takes off tin foil hat*

rb10

I don't think the problem is with the people at the other end, because as others have said, they will have access to your details if you do it by phone. The potential security risk is that normal emails are not encrypted, so it would be possible for someone to intercept the email en route, hence having access to your credit card numbers.

alim0nkey

Do not, under any circumstances, email your credit card details. As a general rule of thumb, do not email anything you wouldn't want to see on the front page of a newspaper.

purplepardalis

*puts tin foil hat back on*

Ok, yes, I forgot about the email encryption thing.

I'll call them instead and do it over the phone

alim0nkey

By the way I'm speaking as an ex network admin, and I have an internet computing masters. It's actually quite scary how easy it is to view unencrypted internet traffic. So don't do it kids.

dickydonkin

I had a similar situation last year.

I would not e mail my CC details to a hotel in Bangkok - but I did fax a photocopy of the card without revealing the security code.
Many hotels just require the CC number to guarantee the reservation and will not charge until check out.

I had heard that if you really feel the need to sent your CC details by e mail, use two email accounts and send one part of the CC number on one acount and the remaining details on another - seems a bit of a kerfuffle to me though and I would still have reservations (excuse the pun) about doing that.