A Malaysian man shared how he was almost conned out of more than RM2,000 after a girl he met online lured him into what appeared to be a restaurant scam.
The story was posted by Facebook user 傑伊丘 Mr Jay today (Aug 26).
First meeting turned into expensive meal
According to the post, the OP connected with a local girl through an online app and agreed to meet her in person for the first time.
She then asked him to pick her up after work.
However, when he arrived, he noticed she did not come out from the workplace she had mentioned, but from another location nearby.
She then said she was hungry and insisted on eating at a particular cafe, rejecting his suggestions of nearby eateries.
Once inside, both ordered separately through QR code menus. He ordered a nasi lemak and a 100 Plus, priced at RM6.90 and RM3.50 respectively, but had no idea what the girl ordered.
Shocked when food arrived
Her food soon started arriving, beginning with five tiny battered scallops which she offered him to try. The price? RM157.90.
Next came four small battered abalone pieces, costing RM189, where he believed she asked him to try the food on purpose, so he would have no choice but to pay
The girl’s main dishes soon followed:
- A5 Wagyu beef (RM383.90)
- Bird’s nest soup (RM46.80)
- Two berry gin lemon drinks (RM157.60, both consumed by her)
On top of that, she even placed a takeaway order of A5 Wagyu beef costing RM859, claiming it was for her family.
Bill came up to over RM2,000
After eating, the girl excused herself and left first, leaving him to settle the bill.
When he went to pay, he found himself facing a staggering total of more than RM2,000 at what appeared to be just a normal cafe.
I immediately realized I had fallen into a “honey trap” restaurant scam.”
Before he went to the counter, no staff were at the entrance. But once he walked up to pay, several quickly positioned themselves near the doors, seemingly to prevent him from leaving without paying.
When the OP said he would call the police, the boss encouraged him to do so but suggested a specific small police station, which the man suspected had already been “arranged” with insiders.
Girl suddenly reappeared
When the OP dialled 999 directly, the girl who had left earlier suddenly returned to the restaurant, claiming she had “forgotten something”, leading the OP to suspect she was called back by the boss once he realised police had been contacted.
In the end, he negotiated to only pay for what he consumed:
- Nasi lemak + 100 Plus (RM12.05)
- A share of the “snacks” he took a few bites of (RM402.40)
His final payment came up to RM414.45 including tax, way lesser than the RM2,000 he was almost forced to pay.
To be on the safe side, the OP drove to the main police headquarters further away from the restaurant to file a report instead of the nearby station the boss had specifically suggested.
The OP ended his post by warning others to beware of similar “restaurant scams” or “bar scams” which prey on unsuspecting victims, and urged people to share his story so their friends and family would not fall victim.
Here is the post:
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