BILLINGS — Local restaurant Cajun Phatty's on 2564 King Ave W. is warning others about a DoorDash scam that cost thousands.
The restaurant is no stranger to helping out the community. Owner Ashley Robichaux offers a welcoming environment for her customers, even hosting "pay what you can" meals to benefit veterans about four times a year.
“They're friendly here and Ashley is really a sweet person. She cares a lot about people," said Louise Alexander, who was eating at the restaurant Thursday afternoon.
"This (food) is authentic. It feels good,” added Louise's husband, Jim Alexander.
Now, the restaurant finds itself on the other side of the coin after a DoorDash scam left them without crucial funds.
“You're violated on all these levels that you just, you know, I'm a trusting person, and you just kind of don't expect it,” said Robichaux.
Several weeks ago, the restaurant had been experiencing problems with their DoorDash tablets not working properly. Robichaux initially called the company's support system and was slated to receive a new tablet. Not long after, they received another call from what was believed to be a DoorDash representative stating that the service was no longer taking orders for them and that Robichaux would need to verify personal information to get it back up.
"(Scammers) call all day, every day, and say something's wrong with the system, but because it was down, I had no reason to question it, and they knew enough information. So, I gave them whatever they were asking for,” said Robichaux. "It was a perfect storm. Right fit at the right time."
With the information Robichaux gave them, the scammers posing as the company, gained access to her bank accounts, routing number, and account information. By the time she noticed things were wrong, it was too late. Thousands of dollars had been wiped from her DoorDash account.
“This has been a rough last couple of weeks," said Robichaux. “This was tough for me because I'm very prideful and seems like I should have been smarter.”
The delivery service makes up 40% of business sales. The loss is just an added weight to recent difficult times with the restaurant reeling from the recent loss of their Grand Avenue location in August due to rising operational costs.
“We've been doing this since 2012. It's never been an easy thing. We're like any other small business—you just try to find your place in the world and hopefully make enough money," said Robichaux. "It's just not easy."
While Robichaux says they will recover from the theft, she wants to use her experience to warn other businesses of what to be on the lookout for and always to be alert.
“All of us are vulnerable to that and all of us are exposed to these scammers. And I don't know, how do you stop something like that?” said Robichaux. "Protect yourself as best you can. Try not to be too naive. They're always one step ahead of us. They're smarter than we are."
Now, the community will have the chance to return the assistance the restaurant has given for so many years. On Monday, Jan. 27, they are hosting a "pay what you can" fundraiser to help recover some of their losses. Anyone who donates will receive a meal.
“I think it's a great thing, I really do, and I think that we as a community need to support that," said Louise.
Additionally, the owners of Chick-fil-A in Billings have also helped by offering free nuggets or a chicken sandwich with a receipt from Cajun Phatty's from Thursday through Saturday. Despite the heavy toll this scam has taken on Cajun Phatty’s, Robichaux is overwhelmed by the support they have received from the community they have given back to for many years.
“Our community, our family that we've created here is amazing. I have been in tears all day from this support,” said Robichaux. "I'm thankful. I am definitely grateful that we live here."
