Lowlifes Scam Montreal Restaurant Out of $10,000 in Fajitas and Tacos

The owners of a small Mexican restaurant in the Montreal suburb of Dorval were elated this past March when a caller placed pickup orders for fajitas and tacos to the tune of $10,000 over a three-week period. The food was supposedly destined for a construction firm in the area. Excitement turned to bitter disappointment, however, when John Hislop and Bernice Reyna of Epazone & Haricot discovered that the orders had been paid for with stolen credit cards. The restaurant, open since last November, is now on the hook for the full sum. "We feel we were an open target. It’s our first restaurant," Hislop told the Gazette.

The restaurant has a contract with Elavon Merchant Services to process credit card payments. Hislop affirmed that as a result, he had no grounds to suspect fraud. "You have to trust in the system. The charges came back approved." There may have been some signs, namely "the large quantity of food in such a short space of time, [and] the fact it was picked up by various drivers."

Police are now on the case and Hislop is in talks with Elavon Merchant Services to resolve the matter. In the interim, Epazone & Haricot has decided to only accept cash.