A common “prank” restaurants deal with is people calling in fake orders, and one Bamfield restaurant is turning things on its head after getting a fake birthday order.
The Bamfield Wreckage had gotten a large catering order from “Albert Kiggy” to celebrate his 85th birthday. Over six weeks, the restaurant had been in contact with “Albert Kiggy” planning the 50-plate affair.
“After making a 50 portion dinner we have come to realization that someone made this up to mess with us,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “While we are saddened by the unkind actions we are extremely curious as to who is ‘Albert Kiggy’ and what the intentions were?”
To make up for it, the restaurant is opening for dinner on Monday, a day they are usually closed, to celebrate Albert Kiggy’s birthday.
For $10 per plate, diners can go to a real celebration for the fake birthday and be served a dinner of country fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes and garden salad with doors open from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
“For all you mystery solvers out there, we welcome any information that could lead to resolve,” the post says.
According to the New Mexico Restaurant Association, this is a common type of scam that it calls the “over-ordering scam.”
Typically, a person will either place a large catering order or make a reservation for a large group of people and use a stolen credit card. It is then cancelled just prior to the event.
“When receiving orders like this, businesses can protect themselves by contacting the fraud department for that particular credit card. The issuer can contact the cardholder and confirm the order is bona fide, or freeze the card and prevent losses,” the NMRA says. “If the scammer offers another card, check that one too.”
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Laura Brougham
