SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WOWO) — Local restaurants are warning customers to be on alert after scammers used restaurant names, photos and social media posts to promote merchandise the businesses say they do not sell online.
Restaurants including LaPaz Diner and Angelo’s Family Restaurant in South Bend say fake Facebook profiles have been tagging customers and promoting T-shirts, mugs, hoodies and other merchandise.
The posts are designed to appear legitimate, using the restaurants’ names and images and directing customers to click links to supposedly purchase or reserve merchandise.
Restaurant owners say the merchandise being advertised is not being sold by their businesses, and customers who encounter the posts should not click the links.
“That’s completely false. If you want any merch for the La Paz Diner, you buy it here,” said Wendy Haenes, a server at LaPaz Diner.
Haenes said LaPaz Diner sells its T-shirts in person but does not sell them online.
“It would not be us at all. The only way we sell our T-shirts is here in person. We don’t sell them online or anything like that,” Haenes said.
The problem is that the merchandise shown in the fraudulent posts can look remarkably similar to the real products.
According to the restaurant, one of the shirts displayed in a scam post closely resembled merchandise actually associated with LaPaz Diner.
Customers have reportedly been tagged in posts from fake profiles and encouraged to follow links to claim or purchase shirts, cups and hoodies.
Angelo’s Family Restaurant has also warned customers about the scam through its social media channels.
In a Facebook post, the restaurant said scammers were claiming that Angelo’s was selling T-shirts, mugs and other merchandise.
“WE ARE NOT, THIS IS A SCAM!! Angelo’s isn’t selling any merchandise or apparel,” the restaurant said in its warning.
For the restaurants, the concern goes beyond customers potentially losing money.
Owners and customers say fraudulent posts can also create confusion about whether the businesses themselves are responsible for the activity.
Amanda Sellers, a LaPaz customer, said she was upset to see the restaurant’s name being used in the scam.
“I was disheartened because we come here a lot and eat, and I believe that the community support keeps businesses like this going,” Sellers said. “It upset me … it can kill a business like this, especially in the industry right now.”
The Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Indiana says consumers should watch for warning signs when encountering unexpected offers on social media.
Jan Diaz, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Indiana, said suspicious spelling, poor-quality images and unusual links can be indications that a post is not legitimate.
“There are misspellings, or the quality of the photo doesn’t look quite right,” Diaz said. “So if it looks suspicious, again, don’t click any links.”
Diaz recommended going directly to the business’s official website or social media account to verify whether an offer is legitimate.
Consumers can also contact a business directly before providing payment information or personal information through a social media promotion.
In the South Bend cases, both LaPaz Diner and Angelo’s Family Restaurant say they do not sell their merchandise online.
LaPaz Diner says its shirts are available for purchase at the restaurant in person.
The BBB recommends that consumers avoid clicking suspicious links, verify promotions directly with the business and be especially cautious when a social media post asks for payment or personal information.
If a restaurant or other local business appears to be offering merchandise or a deal that seems unusual, consumers should independently verify the offer before making a purchase.
