A student who ran a scam of visiting high-end restaurants and leaving without paying, racking up more than £5,800 in unpaid bills, has been banned from central London for a year.Janis Nords, who was last week arrested, has been barred from entering six of London’s most exclusive postcodes after pleading guilty to nine counts of not paying for goods and services. He scammed restaurants by pretending to go out for a cigarette before making off without paying. Full story here.
What lessons can be learned from this very high profile case? How can the industry protect itself against fraudsters like Nords? Should diners no longer be allowed to go out for cigarette breaks in between courses? Should they be required to hand over their credit cards before going out to smoke? Or will restaurants have to invest in bouncers guarding the entrance to ensure nobody makes off without paying?
What are your thoughts?