Ever since I posted about Engineer Andy Jakes and his oil rig restaurant scam I’ve been getting emails from around the world sent by people who were approached by the same scammers. In some cases they saw my post when they Googled Andy Jakes and it helped them realize that this is a scam so, like Superman, I did some good! Restaurants as far away as Australia and Denmark have emailed saying they were approached by Engineer Andy Jakes and Dr. Allan Brad trying to book dinners and it took most of them as long as it took me to realize that this was a scam of the lowest order. I’ve gotten phone calls from restaurant owners and we’re all in the same boat: it didn’t sound like a scam at first, just weird, and then we started dealing with them in good faith, then we realized it was a scam and felt like idiots. So keep the word churning: the oil rig scam continues. Be on the lookout for hungry oil rig workers who want to eat at your restaurant and when they show up…run!

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But, you know, it’s sad. It’s people like Engineer Andy Jakes and Dr. Allan Brad who ruin it for the rest of the oil rig workers who just want to get a group reservation at Australian wine bars and American vegetarian restaurants.

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“I cannot get into any good restaurants now. Curse

you, Engineer Andy Jakes.”

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UPDATE: Just got an email from a restaurant owner in Argentina who received the same scam emails. As they write, “I just wanted to share with you the experience of feeling like an idiot…” Yes. There’s something about getting these emails and you think, “Hey, a group booking, awesome!” And then…the experience of feeling like an idiot. I guess all of us running restaurants have lowered our guard a bit in the current economy.

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