Restaurant booking fraud???

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It sounds more like a prank than a scam. Like ordering pizzas or magazines to annoy someone. OK, not even that. I'm with you, it's weird.

Always sensible to change passwords if you are suspicious, but I don't think there is any reason to think her email was hacked. I'm sure you can online book by just typing in an email address, without having to prove it's yours.
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
Id check your bank card to be sure its not compromised..
unlikely but only 5 mins to make sure.

i had CSA after me ' i have no kids'..then inland revenue..turned out a person used my NI number..
i had a tax investigation after i cleared it up..typicle
 

classic33

Leg End Member
[QUOTE 4341533, member: 45"]They had her mobile number as well.[/QUOTE]
Has she sent either by the other? Or e-mail from a smartphone?
 
Has she sent either by the other? Or e-mail from a smartphone?
There are easily 100 people that know both my phone number and at least one email address of mine. Even if Mrs P is very private, there's probably lots of family, work, friends, other parents and the school (if they have kids) who would know both. I think it would be a bad path to go down to start suspecting everyone who might know both. Read Phillip K. Dick or watch The Caine Mutiny, to see where that can lead (ie: paranoia).
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
[QUOTE 4341482, member: 45"]Mrs P had an email from a pub chain over the weekend confirming a booking for a meal in a pub a couple of hours drive from where we live, in a place we have no plan to ever visit at a pub and a chain we've never heard of.

She rang the pub from a number on the website I found separately and they confirmed that the booking had been made using her name, email address and mobile number. They cancelled the booking.

Mrs P has changed her email log-in, but we're baffled about what happened and why. Anyone have an idea? Is there some kind of scam I've never heard of?[/QUOTE]
I'd tell the pub to take action on anyone who turns up for that booking, like @The Velvet Curtain says they could well turn up and scoff a meal, guzzle a bottle of wine and then scarper with the staff thinking that they knew who they were because of the information provided in the booking.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
[QUOTE 4341779, member: 45"]They could do, but why would you not just not book, or book as Mr Smith and then just do a runner?[/QUOTE]
Once the pub think they know who someone is they're more likely to be lulled into a false sense of security.
'Doing a runner' isn't like they're gonna sprint for the doors these days is it.
 

TVC

Guest
Being a food ponce I find that these days better restaurants either call or e-mail you a couple of days before your reservation to 'remind you'. Talking to a waiter I confirmed what I thought that they get a lot of false bookings for what ever reason or no shows. When you have a limited number of tables and a single cover per serving they can loose £50-75 for every empty chair whilst turning down late bookings, it's a big problem, people reserving a table then not bothering.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
[QUOTE 4341482, member: 45"]Mrs P had an email from a pub chain over the weekend confirming a booking for a meal in a pub a couple of hours drive from where we live, in a place we have no plan to ever visit at a pub and a chain we've never heard of.

She rang the pub from a number on the website I found separately and they confirmed that the booking had been made using her name, email address and mobile number. They cancelled the booking.

Mrs P has changed her email log-in, but we're baffled about what happened and why. Anyone have an idea? Is there some kind of scam I've never heard of?[/QUOTE]
its most likely a competing restaurant, that you have visited and left your details with, trying to put the other out of business with nights of no shows. Keep an eye on the account in the name of the booking though and also check with your ISP (or email provider) to see if any emails have gone out that you don't recognise (they could just be in your sent items but those sent from the online portal often don't show in your email handler (outlook or whatever)
 

Sandra6

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
Not quite the same, but I recently had a "reminder" appear on my phone for a hotel reservation I never made. I just deleted it. It is a bit odd though. I can't see the "angle" though
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
Restaurants must get a lot of false bookings - whenever I turn up at a restaurant they look me up and down then tell me: "Have you got a booking? We're full!" Then if I insist on staying, the restaurant stays mysteriously empty all evening. I've no idea why.

That was us on the C2C in Keswick; turned up with my youngest and Ron, who rode with us, in tow.

"We're full" turned into a table in 3 minutes once they saw his cherub-like face instead of my dreariness.
 
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