CRIME

Scammers hit Rehoboth Beach businesses

robin brown
The News Journal

Scammers with stolen credit cards are ripping off restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, city police said Wednesday, warning businesses to be on their guard.

One business, not identified by police, has reported "several scams," Police Chief Keith W. Banks said.

The first type of scam is relatively elaborate, starting with the scammer emailing an order for a substantial amount of food, Banks said.

He cited the example of an order for catering for 250 people, with pickup scheduled for a later date.

The emailer also adds $1,000 to the bill to be given to the pick-up driver in cash, Banks said.

"The idea behind the fraud is for a courier to arrive at the business to pick up the catering order and be paid the additional $1,000 in cash for his part in delivering the food," he said.

The scammer, using a free email service – providing only an email address and no phone number or physical address – also pays for the order with a stolen credit card.

The ruse makes for a triple theft, Banks said: "The business will lose money on credit card theft, the product and the cash provided to the courier."

The other type of scam that has been reported has a much simpler approach.

The scammer calls "to order a substantial amount of gift cards," Banks said, then tries to pay for them with stolen or fraudulent cards.

As the summer season approaches, Rehoboth Beach police warned businesses Wednesday "to be very cautious and verify any and all contact information as well credit card information including the security code prior to allowing any purchase."

Banks added, "It is also a good practice to advise the emailer or caller that you will need to verify the amount with the issuing credit card company for large purchases."

Anyone with information about such scams in the city is asked to call Rehoboth Beach Police Detective Tyler Whitman at (302) 227-2577.

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.