The gastropub in York issued a statement via its website to ignore phone calls requesting card information after learning of the ruse late last week.
The statement on the website and on social media read: “Important message for all our customers.
“If you are called by anyone claiming to be Open Table and the Star Inn The City asking for card details, please under no circumstances give out these details.
“We will never call you and ask for your card details over the phone.”
Industry-wide problem
It continued: “Please note one of the numbers calling claiming to be us (01904 619308) is a very similar number to our number (01904 619208).
“All card details are stored securely through Stripe which is separate to Open Table and have not been affected by this scam.”
The scam is believed to be an industry-wide problem and was reported to the police on Thursday 8 December and the business began to contact customers who had made recent bookings and its reservation provider Open Table.
After its warning on social media, Facebook user Chris Byrne commented: “I’d booked earlier in the week and had a call from a guy who was quite convincing until he asked for my card details.”
Quite unprofessional
Byrne continued: “When I told him I didn’t have my card with me, he started to get quite unprofessional and made me concerned. He knew my name, time and how many were dining, plus the last four digits of my card. Very worrying but, fortunately, I didn’t succumb but called the Star, who confirmed it wasn’t them who called.”
Other people said the call came from a phone number with no ID.
The Star Inn The City in York is part of Pern’s gastropub group, which includes the Michelin-starred the Star at Harome, also in York, which was forced to close late last year when a fire tore through the building and reopened this autumn.
Meanwhile, Pern was forced to close his Whitby gastropub, the Star Inn The Harbour, after an “utter lack of support” from its local council post-pandemic.
