This is a reminder to be more vigilant and alert when doing online transactions, especially with the ‘Ber months officially coming in.
Amare La Cucina’s CEO, Eddie Bustos, shares his experience with a scammer who placed a large order and sent them a fake deposit slip.
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According to the Instagram post: “a customer placed a large order at our Amare Makati branch and sent a fake deposit slip. They even arranged for a Lalamove rider to pick up the order and requested that the excess change be given to the driver.”
Bustos shared with WhenInManila.com that it took a few hours before they realized that the order was a scam. Their staff had already started working on the large order, but upon checking with their bank, they realized that the money was never deposited.
“In hindsight, we could have been quicker with this, but it was a valuable lesson,” he tells WhenInManila.com.
This was apparently the second time they’ve been scammed by the same number. With this incident, they decided to involve the authorities and placed a police report.
“They took our statement and launched an investigation, but as with many scam cases, the chances of catching the culprit were slim since it was an online scam with no traceable contact details. The good thing is, it raised awareness within our team, and we now have stricter protocols in place,” says Bustos.
With his experience, Bustos shares a few insights for other entrepreneurs to avoid getting scammed: “I’d recommend always verifying payment before starting work on large orders, especially for new clients or unfamiliar transactions. Set up clear financial protocols with your team—don’t just rely on screenshots of deposit slips, always confirm with the bank. Finally, train your staff to spot potential red flags in customer interactions. It’s better to delay preparation than waste resources on a fake order.”
Stay vigilant, folks!
Have you had similar experiences before? Share it with us!
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