Bar Code Rape

Many technology trade shows use a nametag or wrist tag system on which an attendee’s information, including the company he or she represents and contact details, can be attained by scanning the bar code printed on the tag.

Because the majority of the attendees at many technology trade shows tend to be male, exhibitors often hire attractive women – sometimes called booth bunnies – to collect attendees’ information. These women sometimes commit bar code rape to maximize the number of leads they can collect. Most bar code rape goes unreported, so accurate statistics are hard to come by.