A customer tried to use a counterfiet gift certificate to a mom and pap restaurant.

[Irb]

I work at mom and pap restaurant. They aren't a huge chain like McDonalds or Swiss Chalet so they don't have coupons printed professionally. They just print out their own certificates on some fancy paper and would put a company stamp on it for authenticity. Well today a customer handed me a gift certificate that was for the value of $50. It took me by surprise because we rarely sell GC for that much. Usually customers by $20 GCs. So I look at the GC and I noticed that something just wasn't right. The fonts did not look right and the alignment was a little off. I should know these things because I helped designed the GCs for the owners. The GC did not have the pressed company stamp on it. Furthermore each GC we sell is numbered and the number that was on this GC was bogus. I asked the customer where he got the GC from and he said that it was given to him as a gift. I proceeded to tell him that the GC was no good and it was a fake. He had this wierd look in his eye as if someone had foiled his scam or something. We went back and forth for a little bit and I told him that I can't accept this because it is a fake. In the end I ripped up the GC and he paid his bill by cash.

Could I have called the popo on this guy? It's a scam never the less. I don't know if it was him who made the GC. Man is it ever low trying to rip off a mom and pap store.

[deals fan]

you should've called the non-emergency line of the police and request that an officer is dispatched as a non-priority call.

[Brandon]

It's fraud, so you should have called the police.

[Kasakato]

A fraud if process.

[Piccolo]

I think you should have gotten down his information and advised him that you would need to keep the gift certificated and hand it into the police, they would investigate the matter further -- would have scared him at least never to do it again. I highly doubt the police would do anything without proof that he was actually the one to counterfiet the gift certifcate.

Pretty low for him to do that though. -- some people --

In my experience with counterfiet money -- the police are not called, but the security in my building will talk with the people and get as much info as possible. The bill is then turned over to toronto police. If the person wants to keep the bill they are told that if it is found in circulation they will be charged since they now know it is fake. They encouraged to turn it over to the police.

[lithiumli]

agreed!

It's fraud, so you should have called the police.

[Daemar]

you shouldn't have ripped it up, but rather call the police and give it to them.

[Becks]

Call the police and then what? You should have taken this person's picture and made sure they paid their bill. Even if the person ran out of the restaurant without paying the bill, there's nothing the cops could do about it, right?

[Nemodigital]

I think the fact that the person had to pay with cash and you ripped up the GC should be enough of a deterrent so I doubt they will hit your place again. Still pretty low of them.

[reflex]

lol, anyone ever think that maybe someone actually gave him the GC to use and then he thought it was real? think of how he feels!!! lol =P

[UrbanPoet]

wow... just wow.. Those GCs from small resturants are easy to counterfiet, but then again they dont sell that many so they can keep close track of them. all they gotta do is put a 4 digit number on it.. write a date and put it in a book then look it up (lol)

[gorf]

Christmas season is especially bad for counterfeit money. Glad you didn't get ripped off. Its pretty bad when a mom and pop joint have to have numerous security features on a gift certificate.

[Dodger]

"What's so great about a mom and pop store? Let me tell you something, if my mom and pop ran a store I wouldn't shop there." - George

[Arrow]

Props to you for catching that. Good idea to keep a record of them too.

[eelfliw]

Not sure how many gift certs you guys sell but if not many, then check the list of ppl who have bought gift certs before as they may be the ones producing the fake GCs. Anyone with knowledge of what the gift certs look like can be a suspect. Work down the list and eventually you can track down who the perpetrator is.