Police warn against restaurant reservation scams after F&B operators lose S$73,500
Published by Channel NewsAsia on 20 Jul 2022 09:31PM
SINGAPORE: Police on Wednesday (Jul 20) warned against a new type of scam involving fake restaurant reservations, with at least five victims losing a total of S$73,500 since July.
The scam targets local food and beverage operators, who would receive calls from fake customers making reservations and asking for off-menu items to be purchased from a fake supplier, police said in a news release.
These so-called customers, whose phone numbers show the “+” prefix indicating an international incoming call, would reserve many tables and ask for expensive off-menu items.
“The victim would be provided with the contact details of a fake supplier for these off-menu items and would be informed that the items have been paid for,” police said.
“In some instances, the ‘customers’ would send a forged screenshot showing funds being transferred to the F&B operator’s bank account.”
The operators would then be instructed to contact the fake supplier, where they would make payments to order the items requested by this customer.
“Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they discovered that they did not receive any funds from the ‘customer’, or when the off-menu items were not delivered and/or the ‘customer’ becomes uncontactable,” police said.
They advised the public to take precautions when receiving reservations from overseas customers, such as asking for a local contact to liaise with for the reservation.
They also urged F&B operators to avoid making payments or deposits in advance when dealing with new suppliers.
“Arrange to meet the supplier and pay only upon delivery of the goods,” they said, adding that operators should also search online for reviews of suppliers to establish their legitimacy before committing to a purchase.
“大老板”再出击 “鸡饭配红酒”图骗小贩钱
来自 / 新明日报 发布 / 2022年7月11日 2:56 PM
称要用鸡饭配红酒，还要连吃11天！“大老板”再次出击，连小贩也不放过，竟叫鸡饭摊贩代买红酒。
《新明日报》连日报导，多家著名餐馆接到“大老板”或其助手电话，称要订豪华餐宴请员工，还要求餐馆代买数万元的红酒或佛跳墙，若见无法得逞立刻销声匿迹。
原以为只有餐馆接到电话，没想到“大老板”也对小贩下手，在黄金熟食中心营业20余年的海南起骨鸡摊，也接到上述诈骗来电。
黄金熟食中心的海南起骨鸡饭摊档接到“大老板”电话。（受访者提供）
摊贩许月真（54岁）透露，她在本月5日接到电话，对方态度真诚说隔天会携带30名员工到场办聚会，要求她协助订座和准备食物，还称会连续11天光顾。
由于熟食中心座位无法提前霸占，而她只售卖鸡饭，隐约觉得有所不妥，但对方安抚说，座位他们会处理，许月真只需要准备食物就好。
“他要我算好11天的总数额，并指隔天会现金支付，我那时候半信半疑，但还是多准备了5只鸡。”
许月真告知对方10天的餐费共2280元（约6840令吉）。（受访者提供）
许月真透露，由于周日他们不开档，所以告知对方10天的餐费只需支付2280元（约6840令吉），希望通过Paynow支付，但对方称隔天会给现金。
隔天早晨，对方再度来电确认，这时才进入正题，指他是帮老板订餐，而且老板钟爱一款红酒，要求她帮忙代购。
许月真立即拒绝，对方听到没戏后便挂断电话。许月真昨日联系陈生成山瑞补汤老板陈崇禄，才确认是一场骗局。
“现在行情不好，他们还落井下石，希望同行可以留意，不要轻易上当。”
又有四家餐馆遇“豪客订桌”骗局
来自 / 新明日报 发布 / 2022年7月10日 2:44 PM
餐馆不上当，“大老板”换剧本，致电至少四家餐馆，以支付双倍价格为诱饵，要业者向指定商家代购佛跳墙。
《新明日报》日前报道，两家著名餐馆接到“大老板”电话，要订豪华套餐宴请员工，对方分别要求餐馆代买红酒与佛跳墙，还要他们垫付数万元的代买费。
近日，又有四家餐厅险中招，分别是同乐集团旗下的餐馆、陈生成山瑞补汤、利宝饭店以及“广东歌后”关雪儿的鱼头炉餐厅。
他们接到的来电，对方说辞已有不同，包括不再自称是老板，而改口说是“大老板”的助手。
四家餐馆接骗子电话
四家餐厅都是接到一通来自香港的电话，对方称自己是为一名老板订购酒席。
利宝饭店的老板陈进发（60岁）受访时说，他在星期四（7月7日）接到自称是“Kenny Ma”的人，对方先是开口称要连续五天订100份饭盒外卖，后来要陈进发向指定的供应商订购佛跳墙。
“我们要求他先付饭盒的钱，他一直推脱不给，我就怀疑有鬼了。”
陈生成山瑞补汤第三代老板陈崇禄（31岁）受访时说，员工是在星期五接到“Kenny Ma”的电话，对方称是为老板订桌，想请60人吃饭。“当时我们很兴奋，以为是接到大生意了。”
后来，对方同样要求他向指定商家买佛跳墙，还请他们先付钱，并承诺之后会付还双倍价钱，但对方迟迟不愿把订金汇过来，于是他四处向同行打听，才发现不少人也接到类似电话。
QR code Scam
A newly formed payment council, set up to look into ways to advance e-payments in Singapore, has created a taskforce specifically to develop a common QR code for Singapore (SGQR) that could be used for e-payments island wide.
China has already had theirs in the market. Even buying food doesn’t need cash, just a simple scanning of a QR code would complete the transaction. However, scammers started to exploit these codes by affixing their QR code on top of hawkers’ QR codes, resulting in all their hard earned money going into the suspect’s pockets.
Two men went to a counter of a restaurant and deliberately used a phone to block the public’s view, hastily replacing the store’s QR code to their own.
The victim said: “It was busy, so I didn’t notice, a closer look will reveal a small layer on top of the original QR code.” The victim’s code has been successfully stolen.
Chinese police said: “This is a new type of theft. If a business accepts QR code payment, the code cannot just determine the customer’s mobile information, they must determine from their own account page, whether they really received any money. ”
Suspects often find crowded shops with a QR code placed on the counter of the store, like shopping streets, food streets, drink shops. With their agility, they can paste QR codes within a few seconds.
Chinese police said: “In the process of investigation, we have found that the suspect has moved through four provinces and cities nationwide, including Guangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Foshan and then finally being arrested at Hunan. They used the same trick and stole more than 320 cases, amounting to nearly S$20 million.
Advice: Do not paste your QR code outside the store or in front of the counter. You should treat the QR code as your cashier, lock it when not in use.
Well-known durian stall encountered scammers repeatedly using electronic payment screenshots to cheat
Translate from Channel 8 News Dated July 29, 2020 16:56
Electronic payment methods are becoming more and more common in Singapore, but some people took advantage of the loopholes and were accused of defrauding the well-known durian stalls with screenshots before payments. He repeatedly took the durians without paying, and finally got caught.
The durian stall in Ghim Moh, Ah Seng Durian posted on the social media Facebook page last night (29th) to expose the incident.
The man was accused of pretending to scan the PayNow QR code to pay, but in fact kept the screenshot before successful payment, and showed the screenshot to the booth staff, making them mistakenly think he paid.
Ah Seng Durian said that the man had escaped several times before. They knew that the man had ordered the durian yesterday, so they waited patiently for him to come.
The man did the same thing. After the staff at the booth confirmed that he had not received his payment, other staff immediately walked over from the corner and asked him if he really paid. The man said nonchalantly that he had forgotten to enter the payment amount.
“Then what did he show to our auntie at the time? Did he really forget it, or did he find a convenient excuse?”
“He has repeatedly regretted it and expressed his willingness to compensate for the money he had not paid before.” The employees further questioned what he did previously. He denied at first, but finally admitted after the employees’ questioning with video as evidence. “
“Treat others with tolerance and coexist peacefully. We accepted his apology and late payment. This matter was finally resolved in private. I hope that similar incidents will not happen again, Otherwise, we will report it without hesitation and let the relevant departments handle it. “
Ah Seng Durian also noticed that customers showed their real payment records after using cashless payment methods in front of the cashier.
This post received enthusiastic responses from netizens. Most netizens pointed out that Ah Seng durian may not be the only victim, and other vendors and stalls may have been deceived. Therefore, it is recommended to call the police. I also agree not to let the scammer go. They may repent to Ah Seng Durian and then commit crimes elsewhere.
知名榴梿摊位遇骗子 屡次以电子付款截屏行骗
发布 8视界新闻 日期 2020年7月29日 16:56
电子付款方式在本地越来越普遍，有人却钻了空子，被指以之前付款的截屏，蒙骗知名榴梿摊位，屡次没有付钱就拿走榴梿，最终被逮了个正着。
位于锦茂的榴梿摊位阿城榴梿（Ah Seng Durian）昨晚（29日）在社交媒体Facebook页面发帖揭露此事。
这名男子被指假装扫描PayNow二维码进行支付，但实际上是保留了之前付款成功的截屏，并把截屏展示给摊位员工看，让对方误以为他付了钱。
阿城榴梿称男子前几次都逃之夭夭，他们得知男子昨天预订了榴梿后，因此耐心等他上门。
男子果然故技重施，摊位员工确认没有收到他的付款后，其他员工立即从各个角落走过来，问他是否真的付了钱。男子竟若无其事地称是忘了输入付款金额。
“那他当时给我们的安娣看的是什么？是真的忘记了，还是找了个方便的借口？”
员工们进一步质问他之前的所作所为，他起初还否认，在员工们的追问和摄像画面为证之下，才终于承认。“他再三道歉，并表示愿意补偿之前几次没有付的钱。”
阿城榴梿的帖文最后写道，这是他们接受无现金付款以来首次遇到骗案。“待人宽容，和平共存（live and let live），我们接受了他的道歉和迟来的付款，这件事最后私下解决了。希望类似事件不会再发生，不然我们会毫不犹豫地向有关部门举报处理。”
阿城榴梿也呼吁顾客在店员面前使用无现金方式付款后，展示真实的付款记录。
这条帖文获得了网民的踊跃回复，大多网民都指出，阿城榴梿或许并非唯一的受害者，或许有其他小贩和摊位也受骗，因此建议报警处理。我也同意不要放过诈骗犯罪，他们可能向你道歉， 然后又到别的地方犯案。