Mar 21

Written by: Ronnie L. Grant
Sunday, March 21, 2010 

If you attended the CSEA General Council in September, 2009 at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles and used a credit card at a hotel restaurant or the valet parking, be aware that your credit card information may have been stolen by a hacker.

From the notice CSEA sent to GC delegates:

Urgent: Security Breach at Westin Bonaventure

To: GC 2009 delegates and alternates, affiliate staff, central support staff
From: Dave Hart, President, CSEA
Re: Computer Security Breach at Westin Bonaventure

We have discovered that there was a computer security breach at the Los Angeles Westin Bonaventure between April and the end of December 2009 -- during which time we held our CSEA General Council. Customers who used a credit card at one of the hotel’s four restaurants or with the valet parking service may be at risk for identity theft, according to the hotel.

The hotel has said that they would help initiate the process of providing a free credit alert for customers who are at risk. To begin this process contact Helen.Rico@westin.com  or call 213-612-4731

We are assisting the hotel by notifying you of this problem so that you may take appropriate action to protect yourself and those who were with you at GC. The hotel invites you to contact Ms. Rico with any further questions, and suggests that you check bank and credit card statements for the period October 2009 to the present for any suspicious activity.

More info:

• The hotel's notice (PDF)
• Niccolai, J. "Westin hotel in LA reports possible data breech," Computerworld [web site], http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9166898/Westin_hotel_in_LA_reports_possible_data_breach (accessed March 21, 2010).