Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel....

[isaku5]

This is a first for me!!!!

Tonight I received confirmation of a reservation made using my e-mail address to book a stay at a hotel I've never heard of.

I phoned the hotel immediately and explained the situation. The receptionist asked whether the last four numbers on any of my credit cards were xxxx. I checked all four cards and the numbers were totally different.

How can another person have my e-mail address? I thought each was unique.

Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[Karl_K]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Yes they are unique but someone may have made a typo.
For example if your email was email@ theirs could have been emails@ and they just didn't type the s.
By calling the hotel you did the right thing and I would not worry about it if the CC number and name was not yours.
Just be careful when calling not to give any information such as CC numbers because it could be a scam.
What I would do is google the hotel and call that number not the one in the email.
If they ask are your last 4 1234 then its ok to say no.

 

[CJ2008]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

It's possible they just made a mistake when they inputted their email address...

If I were you I'd ask the hotel to give them a call...it's probably a lot to ask for and they probably won't do it, but they might, if you explain the situation...

I would also RESPOND to the confirmation email so that you have a paper trail indicating it was not you who made the reservation.

I think the fact that credit card numbers don't match any of your credit / debit cards can put you a little bit at ease...

EDIT: listen to Karl he's an expert all things security responding to the email may not be the best idea...

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

It's really easy to make a mistake in-putting your email address, I'm embarrassed to say. When I first got mine -- it's part of my name, plus 3 numbers, so like [email protected] -- I kept forgetting to give people the 3 numbers at the end. After a week I got an email with a pile of forwarded posts from someone with the addy [email protected], which is what I'd given friends by mistake. He asked -- more politely than he felt, I'm sure -- if I'd straighten up & get a load of my own address, please.

Karl's suggestion is on the money, though, to communicate w/the hotel through their website, not the address given in the confirmation (unless they're the same, of course).

Must have been a surprise, at any rate!

--- Laurie

 

[Calliecake]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

I can understand you being a little freaked out but it probably is nothing more than a typo. Just last week I made one when entering my email address when placing an online order. If your name is used in your email address just think of how many others have your same name. I'm sure it happens all the time. Now if the credit card numbers were close to yours that would be a completely different story.

 

[Karl_K]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

It's possible they just made a mistake when they inputted their email address...

If I were you I'd ask the hotel to give them a call...it's probably a lot to ask for and they probably won't do it, but they might, if you explain the situation...

I would also RESPOND to the confirmation email so that you have a paper trail indicating it was not you who made the reservation.

I think the fact that credit card numbers don't match any of your credit / debit cards can put you a little bit at ease...

EDIT: listen to Karl he's an expert all things security responding to the email may not be the best idea...

The reason not to reply to them email is its an active scam to send something like that and if you reply to the email to send you a link that says something like see the details here: <link> and when you go to the link it infects your computer with a virus.
Then your on their list for more spam and your computers infected.
That is also the reason to look up the hotel/car rental place/airline that have all been used in scams online instead of calling the number in the email.

In this case it more than likely was just a typo in the email addy so no worries.

 

[isaku5]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Thanks to all who replied. I think all my bases have been covered now, but I will certainly keep an eye out for anything that looks 'different' T

 

[Indylady]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Glad to hear everything has worked out, and so glad its not a matter of identity theft.

 

[JulieN]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Just happened to me, too. A hotel in Naples, Italy. I wish!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

This would be a good time to tell all your credit card companies to put a fraud alert on your credit cards if you haven't already done that. I hope it was just somebody's typo error and nothing more. With a fraud alert, the credit card companies call you to verify any purchase from a business you don't normally deal with.

 

[ame]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Gmail doesn't always recognize punctuation in email addresses. So if you use [email protected] and they use [email protected] you could end up getting each other's mail all the time. DH and I experience that CONSTANTLY, and often with very sensitive emails. We're very good to delete those immediately, but either the person gives the wrong address, or the person they're giving it to inputs it wrong and we get lots of crazy stuff. Banking info, home listings, information about their kids' schools and meal plans...a ton of stuff.

 

[isaku5]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

This would be a good time to tell all your credit card companies to put a fraud alert on your credit cards if you haven't already done that. I hope it was just somebody's typo error and nothing more. With a fraud alert, the credit card companies call you to verify any purchase from a business you don't normally deal with.

Thanks for telling me that, Madam B. I'm using only one card now so that will be an easy fix

 

[isaku5]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Just happened to me, too. A hotel in Naples, Italy. I wish!

That sounds a heck of a lot more interesting than North Carolina, Julie.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

Just happened to me, too. A hotel in Naples, Italy. I wish!

In that case, Julie, you ought to go! Your room is waiting for you!

 

[distracts]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

My email is very close to that of a lawyer in a different state (we have the same name). I get about one email a month from someone with case files attached or asking legal questions. Usually from the same two law firms that must have my email saved - I correct them every time but the same people keep emailing, and I keep telling them to delete it from their autofill but they must not do that. I always think about just messing with them by emailing back crazy things but I never do, as my lawyer doppelganger seems like a nice lady.

 

[Andelain]

Re: Someone used my e-mail address to book a room in a hotel

My email is very close to that of a lawyer in a different state (we have the same name). I get about one email a month from someone with case files attached or asking legal questions. Usually from the same two law firms that must have my email saved - I correct them every time but the same people keep emailing, and I keep telling them to delete it from their autofill but they must not do that. I always think about just messing with them by emailing back crazy things but I never do, as my lawyer doppelganger seems like a nice lady.

If the clients ever find out, that could get ugly.