Florida travel advice - Tourists beware of bogus pizza menus

Fly drive holidays to Florida have been popular with British holiday makers for years. Simply fly into Orlando, pick up a car at the airport and spend a couple of weeks visiting the vast array of theme parks that the USA's sunshine state has to offer. (Remembering to buy your travel insurance USA before you travel, of course).

There have been instances in the past, where British tourists have found themselves to be easy targets for local criminals. The latest scam to come to light uses bogus pizza menus and has affected tourists staying in hotel s and motels in the Orlando area.

According to the Sunday Times there have been an increasing number of reports of local criminals using bogus take away pizza menus to trick tourists into handing over their credit card details, or rob unlocked hotel rooms.

When you stay at a hotel in Florida it is very common for pizza menus and other flyers to be put under your door, so it could be hard to tell the real ones from those that are bogus. When you call the number on a bogus flyer, thinking you are calling a pizza restaurant, a criminal on the end of the line will take down your order and your credit card number. You'll probably still get your pizza, because they will send someone to a restaurant to get it, but in return they will keep your credit card details.

To help put an end to this scam, the state of Florida has passed the Tourist Safety Act of 2011, which uses property seizure legislation more commonly used against drug traffickers.

If you are concerned that you may have been a victim of this type of scam you should contact your credit card provider immediately.

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