Food Digging – A Restaurant Run Scam to Lure In Customers

Food Digging: A New Scam Tactic Used in Dishonest and Unethical Restaurant Marketing to Lure Victims to their Venue

Ironically, it is Actually a Form of a Romance Scam, since it uses Dating Fake Profiles to Victimize

“Food digging” is an emerging marketing scheme used by some restaurants to draw in customers by leveraging dating apps. Here’s how it works: a fake profile on a dating app engages with a user, leading to a planned “date” at a specific restaurant. Once the unsuspecting person arrives, the date never shows up. However, the individual often ends up ordering food or drinks while waiting, benefiting the restaurant.

According to AFP:

After using fake reviews to harm competitors’ reputations, unscrupulous restaurant owners are now reportedly using dating apps to lure in customers in a trick that’s been dubbed “food digging”. The idea is to organise a “date” with a victim who then gets stood up but inevitably ends up buying something at the restaurant anyway.

The big night is finally here! You’re going to meet that guy you’ve been chatting to on your go-to dating app. After a few days of messaging, you’ve both decided to take the plunge and leave digital communication behind in favour of a real-world rendezvous. And your date has taken the lead in choosing the restaurant for this first meeting…

You arrive, you wait. And, in the end, your date never shows up, but, while waiting, you ordered a drink, then two, and perhaps something to eat.

It could almost be the plot of a B-movie. Unfortunately, it is reported to be taking place in the real world, in this case, in the United States, where a few days ago on TikTok, a user by the name of @Nosybystanders called out this deceptive new practice, dubbed “food digging”.

The idea is that restaurant owners are creating fake profiles on dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble or Happn, in order to get chatting to someone, arrange to meet them at their specific eatery, and then ultimately stand them up. And, since the jilted date is already in the restaurant, they order a drink or food while waiting. Or, when they realise they’ve been stood up, they go ahead and order dinner anyway. Ultimately, this “food digging” trick is all about pushing people to consume.

The unfortunate victims referred to by the influencer report that the restaurant owners involved are usually quick to suggest meeting and insist on a specific restaurant straight away – so this could be a red flag to watch out for. What’s more, after failing to turn up, the victim is quickly “unmatched” by the fraudster.

This kind of dubious scenario is said to have started in India, according to the content creator, and is now being seen in the US.

How Food Digging Works

• A fake profile is created on a dating app.
• The scammer engages in casual conversation, eventually setting up a date at a restaurant they are promoting.
• When the date is scheduled, the victim arrives at the restaurant but is stood up.
• Feeling obligated, the person may order food or drink while waiting, boosting the restaurant’s sales without realizing they’ve been misled.

No Scam or Deception is Harmless

While this scam is not likely to result in significant trauma to scam victims, it can have serious consequences, particularly since once a victim is known to the restaurant scammer, they are likely to lure the victim back several times. The effects of such repeated ‘failures’ or ‘no shows’ can adversely affect the confidence and perception of self-worth of the victims.

Locations and Spread

Food digging appears to be spreading in various regions, notably in countries like India and the U.S. As restaurants face increasing competition, some resort to these underhanded tactics to fill seats and increase revenue. The practice is illegal since it is fraud, unethical and manipulative, taking advantage of people’s emotions and intentions in romantic settings.

Ethical/Legal Concerns

This tactic raises significant ethical concerns, as it exploits the trust and time of individuals under false pretenses. Restaurants may benefit in the short term, but this practice can erode customer trust and damage reputations if exposed. However, simply put, this is deception and fraud and is unlawful.

In conclusion, food digging reflects a concerning trend in manipulative and unlawful marketing, and diners should be cautious about unexpected “dates” set up through dating apps at unknown restaurants.