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There's no denying the economy is tough right now, and people are paying closer attention to their money. That may also be why some are noticing extra money taken out of their accounts for restaurant purchases.
This is a crime that can be very difficult to find because it's just a few dollars at a time to different customers, most of whom don't even match their bank statements to their restaurant credit card receipts.
Cori Wallace can make a mean sandwich, but what she's really good at is multi-tasking. She takes orders, makes them, then works the register. What she doesn't do is take what's not hers.
"I think it's pretty pathetic, just to help yourself to a couple dollars at a time. I don't think it'd be worth it to me," Wallace said.
She's talking about credit cards receipts. At Leger's Deli, where she works in Summit County, lots of customers use cards.
The manager of this deli showed us some examples of receipts customers just left here. On one receipt, the customer left the tip section blank but had a total amount.
But on another receipt, the customer didn't fill out the tip section or the total amount. Someone could easily fill out the tip and total amount and you might never know.
The Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating an increasing number of these claims from customers who say they didn't leave the tip they're being charged with.
Joe Martin leaves zeros when he doesn't leave tips, so the space isn't blank. He also checks his bank statements. "I do keep an eye on it," he said.
Wallace says she can't imagine trying to rip off her own customers a dollar at a time. "Sooner or later, you'll get caught," she said.
One waitress recently pleaded guilty for taking an extra thousand dollars in tips from Ghidotti's in Summit County.
Detectives aren't saying where else they're doing investigations until they can make arrests. But they say it is always a good idea to check your bank statements, match them to your receipts, and don't leave a space blank.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
