Northeast Fresno business victim to online ordering scam

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was concern arsenic accustomed for the unit astatine The Curry Pizza Company successful Northeast Fresno connected Sunday.

The owner, Virender Malhi, said astir a week agone helium noticed aggregate fraud charges for transactions astatine his Willow and Nees location.

"Basically, it's similar a recognition paper scam," said Malhi.

Malhi said regular customers told him they were getting entree to discounts connected Instagram, portion utilizing the telegram app.

He was shocked to observe his pizzeria was 1 of the businesses listed for these unauthorized discounts.

"You nonstop them a ticket, immoderate you're ordering, let's accidental the summons is $200 oregon $100, they springiness you 50% to 70% disconnected of the ticket," said Malhi.

Malhi said erstwhile you're signed into the telegram app, you tin go portion of groups.

Malhi has gone done the process of utilizing the app to recognize however his tiny concern is coming up abbreviated changed.

"They instrumentality their wealth connected cashapp. They usage a stolen oregon a fake recognition paper and spot an order. And past we get charged backmost connected it and it's a stolen recognition paper and truthful they instrumentality the wealth retired of our relationship truthful basically, we suffer a full amount, immoderate the nutrient order," said Malhi.

Malhi said he's mislaid astatine slightest $2,000, and helium expects to suffer much since discovering the scam.

"We are similar precise bladed connected the margins, particularly losing the magnitude of money, that enactment america successful the negative, with labour going up," said Malhi.

Malhi said they person a caller information strategy and procedures successful spot to support them from these scam attacks moving forward.

Malhi encourages everyone to beryllium cautious erstwhile you're making online purchase. He said you ne'er cognize what scammers are doing with your idiosyncratic information.