Business Scam Targets Night Shift Employees

The Menomonee Falls Police Department is asking local fast food business owners to be on guard against a scam that targets younger or newer managers working the night shift.

According to a memo from Detective Eric Hansen, a caller poses as a representative from the “corporate.” The caller claims that a customer lost a wallet at the store at an earlier date, and that the money in the wallet is missing. The “corporate” caller tells the manager that in order to avoid a lawsuit, they should bring a certain amount of cash from the store upon closing and take it to a specified location.

Several fast food stores have been targeted recently from Delafield to Greenfield. Police Lt. Kevin Von Bank said earlier in June an employee at along Appleton Avenue was victimized. The employee brought $1,300 in cash to 25th Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee and paid the money to a runner who was part of the scam.

“Basically, what you have is a young manager who didn’t follow company protocol and panicked,” Von Bank said. “Instead of checking with the company owner, they made a decision on his or her own. You are dealing with an inexperienced manager and that’s part of the problem.”

According to Hansen’s memo, the “corporate” caller is very convincing and even provides information about the storeowner and general manager. Most calls are made at night or near closing time.

The caller asks the employee to drive to a specific location and wait in their vehicle. The caller stays on the phone with the employee the entire time they are driving to the meeting place. Once they have arrived, a runner will collect the money.

The police department has completed the investigation of the Qdoba incident, and is aware of at least one other attempt. Police are urging business owners to pass information of this scam onto other employees.

If a business receives a similar call, police are asking them to call a dispatcher at (262) 532-1700.