Former guests at a Michigan hotel got a nasty surprise on their credit card statements this month. Around 150 guests at the Doherty Hotel and Convention Center in Clare, Michigan, found fraudulent charges on their credit card statements after staying at the hotel. Victims' average fraudulent charges were around $2,500.

Authorities say they're not sure whether the hotel's system had been hacked or whether the cards were accessed by a criminal employee, but the hotel is cooperating with the investigation. This isn't the first time a hotel has been targeted: LA's Westin Bonaventure and the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, have both experienced similar crimes.

According to credit experts, hotel guests are at particularly high risk for identity theft, and travelers are encouraged to be extra vigilant when checking credit card statements while traveling and after.

[photo by Flickr user Andres Rueda]

Filed under: North America, United States, News