Scam of the Month

THAT WAS NO WAITER; THAT WAS A THIEF!

Most people have enough to do checking their restaurant tab to figure out if they've been billed correctly. Now a new worry has emerged - make sure the waiter that takes your money actually works for the restaurant. The following story, which first appeared in the Jersey Journal, may be a sign of the desperation of the times.

A man posing as a waiter made off with $186 in cash from unsuspecting patrons at two Hoboken N.J. restaurants last month. The man approached two women at Hobson's Choice, 77 Hudson St, who had recently received their bill and asked if they needed anything before paying.

The women said no and handed him $90 in cash, police said. About an hour later, the same man went to Margherita's Pizza and Cafe, at 740 Washington St., and asked to be put on the wait-list for a table. He sat in the waiting area for about 20 minutes and then approached three women and asked them if they were ready to pay, police said.

"He took the money from them and walked straight out of the restaurant," said Anthony Buzzerio, a manager at the restaurant.

The women told cops they gave the man $96 for a $66 bill and expected change. Margherita's waitstaff wear black polo shirts with the store's logo on the front, Buzzerio said.

"The man was dressed very professionally," Buzzerio said. "Obviously (the customers) were a little confused." Buzzerio said the restaurant absorbed the cost of the meal.

"This is the first time I've come across something like this," Buzzerio added. "Hopefully he gets what's coming to him."