Ordering Pizza? Not so Fast

You are on vacation and you are just returning to your hotel room after a long day of sightseeing, attending special events or attractions and you find a flier shoved under your door. You read it and discover that the flier is from a nearby pizza shop inviting you to order a pizza which they will happily deliver to your hotel room. If you are traveling with children, you hear the chorus of "I'm hungry" and you immediately think that ordering a takeout pizza is just the thing to satisfy hungry palates. So, you call the pizza parlor listed on the flier and a kind voice answers and asks to take your order. You are given the available menu and you make your choice. To complete the order, when asked, you give your credit card number and room number and the transaction is complete. The friendly voice on the other end assures you your order will be delivered within thirty minutes. So, all is well or is it? You patiently await the pizza delivery and after the stated time has elapsed, you become somewhat nervous but you attribute your concern to impatience. You wait a few more minutes and then decide to call the pizza parlor's number listed on the flier. You're ready to give them a piece of your mind about being late with your pizza. You dial the number but there is no answer. You dial again, thinking you must have misdialed so you meticulously redial the number. Again, no answer. Finally, a sickening feeling overtakes you as you realize the so called pizza parlor order is a ruse. No such business exists. Your identity has been stolen during a quick conversation. By the time you realize you have been conned, the thieves are already conducting their illegitimate transactions with your credit card.

You have just read about a scam that is being committed against unsuspecting travelers. Scam artists have taken advantage of your moment of unwariness and left you with more problems than you had intended to experience on this trip. The phone calls to the credit card company need to be made quickly to disqualify you from being responsible for the unauthorized purchases. Your vacation has been ruined and you ask yourself how could I have been so careless? To avoid this scenario, there are some steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of this new twist of identity theft.

If you are a hotel or motel guest, before ordering from a flier or other unfamiliar advertisement, check the phone number in the phone book. Some hotel rooms no longer have phone books so that option may not be available. However, most cell phones, iPods and other electronic devices can give you information about local businesses. If the business listed on the flier is not listed on your device, it may be a sign that the business is non-existent. It bears further investigation.

Do not give your credit card number to businesses over the phone. When ordering food, use cash rather than paying with your credit card number.

Ask the hotel personnel if the business listed on the flier is legitimate. Hotel personnel know the area businesses and would be a good source of information concerning a business's legitimacy.

When traveling with your credit cards, be sure to have in a safe place in your luggage, a duplicate copy of your credit card number and number to call if your card is stolen or used by unauthorized individuals.

Do not allow thieves to steal your identity. We live in a time when scam artists constantly perfect their devious plots and consumers need to be alert to unscrupulous practices. Protect yourself and be aware. Whether traveling or at home, think twice before giving up that credit card number. Next time you are a hotel guest, it may be best to ignore the unsolicited advertisement shoved under your door. Order your takeout from a chain restaurant. Traveler, be on guard!