Restaurants warned of overpayment scam by Better Business Bureau

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Better Business Bureau says there’s an overpayment scam from about 10 years ago that is circling back and you could be their next target. 

Niagara Falls’ Ghada Have It! Mediterranean Home Cooking and Power City Eatery caught it in time. 

Scammers sent an email to both, placing a large catering order, and pretended to be hearing impaired. The BBB says scammers do it to gain sympathy. 

They then say a driver will come to pick up the food, and they want you to overcharge them so that they can dispute it with the credit card company for the inconvenience. The credit card company will then rely on you to pay them back. 

“We just want to let all of our friends and family in the restaurant business know who own restaurants and small businesses, because we’re hurting right now,” Ghada Have It! owner Bashar Srouji said.

“Between the chicken wing prices, between all of these things and the shortages, restaurants are having a hard time, so any big order like this, these scammers know it, and they try to capitalize on it.”

The BBB says never do transactions solely over email. Instead, do them over the phone or in person.

The BBB also says it’s best to authorize payment to make sure someone can pay for it before dealing with potential consequences later on.

Srouji opened Ghada Have It! earlier this year. He said all the recipes used at the restaurant are passed down by his mother, Ghada.