'Cockroach' in dish, $300 demand: Chinatown restaurant owner files police report over suspected extortion scam
A restaurant owner in Chinatown said he nearly fell for a scam after a customer allegedly used doctored photos showing a cockroach in the food to seek compensation over claims of contamination.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Kok Sen Restaurant owner, Huang Zhaoqiang (transliteration), 50, said he received the complaint via WhatsApp on Saturday (Oct 31) at around 8am from a customer claiming to have discovered a cockroach in food purchased the previous day. Despite providing a receipt showing a bill of only $110, the customer demanded a $300 in compensation. "We were very flustered and scared at the time, so we apologised to the other party and said we would definitely take responsibility," said Huang. However, Huang soon noticed several suspicious signs, particularly the customer's insistence on receiving immediate compensation even after being told that the restaurant needed a week to investigate the complaint.The customer also threatened to report the restaurant to the authorities and expose them online if compensation was not paid immediately.