A recent report showed that thieves don't need a key card to access hotel rooms. A tiny homemade device is making it simple for criminals to break into hotel rooms, making off with guests's valuables.
A Today News report showed just how easy it is for a thief to break into a hotel room. They're using a simple device that is able to unlock hotel doors at popular hotel chains. During a report, security expert Jim Stickley demonstrated how a door can be opened in seconds with the tiny device.
They tried the device at several big name hotels in New Jersey such at the Hyatt, Ramada and Doubletree Hilton. Even hotel managers were shocked by how easy it was for Stickley to get into the rooms.The thieving device is so tiny that it can be hidden inside a magic marker and there are even videos online that demonstrate how to make it.
"Do you have to be a computer whiz to build one of these?" Today asked Stickley. "No, you could be a village idiot," he said. "Just go online and you can find step-by-step instructions and be done in a half hour."
The device just needs to be plugged in and is behaves as a master key that can even get through deadbolts. They can open locks that are the most commonly used in hotels around the world, which means that millions of hotel rooms can be opened using this device.
One woman interviewed by Today knows first hand how it feels to have her things stolen from a hotel. She was staying at the Hyatt House in Houston when a thief made off with her laptop and jewelry.
"The moment I opened the door, I felt violated," she told Today "My heart just dropped: Someone has been in my space, someone went through my stuff."
Luckily police believe they caught the thief in that incident. They believe Matthew Cook used to device to rob several hotels. He was charged with felony theft but plead not guilty.
This issue has been known about for several months, yet not every hotel chain was aware of it. Onity is the company that makes the locks. They claimed to have offered hotels solutions to solve the problem when they became aware of it in July, but the device still works in several hotels and not every manager knew about the ongoing issue or how to fix it.
When Today asked the manager of the Country Inn & Suites if she knew about the issue, she said she was never told about it."I want all my locks changed," she told Today.
Despite some flaws, Onity claims that they've fixed 1.4 million locks already and other requests to change the locks are in the process of being fulfilled.
One solution that Onity offers is placing a plastic cap over the port that thieves access however Stickley says the cap isn't the best solution as a criminal would simply need a screwdriver and an extra minute to take the cap off.
Another option that Onity is offering is an upgrade on the locks for a price, but many hotels haven't taken advantage of this.
To protect yourself from being robbed at a hotel room, make sure to put the security chain on the door while in the room. When you leave the room, put your valuables in the room safe or carry them with you.
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