Tipping Scams and Deceptive Practices

Tipping Scams and Deceptive Practices 

Tipping Scams are everywhere now!

And they are devious!  Where's what you need to know and how to protect yourself!

Common Tipping Scams:

• Inflated Suggested Percentages:
  Payment tablets or receipts may show suggested tip amounts (e.g., 18%, 20%, 25%) that are mathematically incorrect. For example, a 25% suggestion on a $27 bill might be displayed as $10.37 (roughly 38%) instead of the correct $6.75.
• Tipping on Tax and Fees:
  Many systems automatically calculate the suggested tip based on the total after tax and service fees rather than the subtotal. This leads to customers tipping on government taxes.
• Altered Receipts:
  Dishonest servers may write in a tip or change the amount on a credit card slip if the tip line is left blank or the total is not filled in.
• Leaving a tab open:
  You're at a bar, restaurant, tavern, pub or bar and you open a tab.  But then, at the end of The evening you forget to close it. An unscrupulous bartender or server can then add a tip to it total it and close it out and you won't know this has happened until you get your credit card statement. Always close your tabs before leaving any establishment. Or better yet pay for each round and close each round
• The "Double Tip" (Automatic Gratuity):
  Some restaurants automatically add a service charge or "auto-gratuity" to the bill but still present a blank tip line, hoping customers won't notice they have already tipped.
• Ghost Tapping:
  In crowded venues like festivals, scammers may use portable card readers to "accidentally" bump into you, triggering a tap-to-pay transaction that includes a high pre-set tip.
• Delivery App Wage Subsidies:
  Some delivery platforms have been criticized for using customer tips to "subsidize" the base pay they offer drivers, meaning the driver doesn't actually receive the tip on top of a fair wage.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Do Your Own Math:
   Never rely on the "suggested" dollar amounts. Calculate 15-20% based on the subtotal (before tax).
2. Fill Every Line:
   If you leave a cash tip, write "CASH" on the tip line of the credit card slip and always write out the final total yourself.
3. Take Your Copy:
   Always take the "Customer Copy" of the receipt. If the restaurant tries to charge a different amount later, you have proof of what you signed for.
4. Verify the Screen:
   When using a handheld kiosk or tablet, ensure the staff member lets you see the screen before you tap or swipe.
5. Audit Your Statements:
   Check your bank or credit card app or login to  the credit card website to check transactions, a few days later to ensure the final charge matches your receipt.
6. Get an RfID wallet -
   about $15 - $20

Here is And please let us know about any suspicious scams regarding tipping you see  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 

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For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.