A man who tried to leave without paying for his meal at Michael’s Bar and Grill in Manchester, Missouri, was caught in the act when he attempted to settle his bill with a counterfeit $1,000 (£743.93) note. The diner, driving a Lexus, initially asked for change from a $100 (£74.40) bill to cover the cost of his meal, which included a burger and several side dishes totaling around $40 (£29.76).
When the server returned with the change, the man had vanished, leaving behind the fake bill labeled as “ancestor money,” typically used in Chinese culture as symbolic paper notes for ancestral offerings, but not legal tender.
The restaurant, which had enhanced its surveillance measures due to previous dine-and-dash incidents, captured the attempted fraud on camera. According to Kristina Moriarty, a staff member, such incidents have occurred multiple times, prompting the owners to invest in improved security systems like cameras, license plate readers, and facial recognition technology.
Footage of dine-and-dashers is shared on social media by the restaurant to deter such behavior, leading to the exposure of the Lexus owner as the latest culprit on their Facebook page. Following the online identification, the man returned to settle his bill and apologized for his actions.
Despite eventually paying, the recurring issue has affected the restaurant workers who rely on tips for income. Dawn Lamb, a bartender with 32 years of experience, emphasized the impact on their livelihoods, stating that the profit margins are narrow and repeated incidents like these directly impact their earnings. The restaurant staff vows to continue exposing and preventing such incidents to protect their business and livelihoods.