911 Reservations Website Caught Trying To Scalp Valentine’s Day Reservations [Updated]

[Update: Please view the bottom of the post for the most up to date list of fraudulent listings, Additionally, I will pin this post to the top of my site until Sunday]

Thanks to an email from the gang over at Rathbun’s (website), 911 Reservations, a website looking to pull a fast one over restaurants across the country, is having a hard time pulling off their scam.  The details are as follows:

Within the past few weeks, 911 Reservations started making a series of Valentine’s Day reservations at some of the most popular restaurants in several major cities across the country.  They used a handful of numbers and a group of fake names.  Primarily focused on the Atlanta restaurant scene, the “company” hoped to sell these highly desirable eating appointments for as much as $100.  Luckily, word is starting to spread and some of the bogus accounts are being taken off the books.  More details after the jump!

The list of restaurants targeted was extensive.  To date, I’ve counted 100 restaurants on the site and there are a lot more than that.

Look, I’m a cynical dude … we know this.  Valentine’s day is one of the holidays I can’t stand (but I loved it when I was dating someone!).  Regardless, this is simply a case of downright [Insert Expletive of Choice].  Here is a list of bogus names and number discovered to this point.  If you’re a restaurateur, feel free to email me and I’ll update the list of fakes which follows.  Alternatively, you are welcome to use the comments section to get the names and numbers out there!  Meanwhile, if you have been duped into buying one of those certificates, put in a credit card dispute immediately!

Kevin Brown, the GM of Chops/The Lobster Bar was the first to take note of this.  He then alerted Andres Loaiza of Aria, who told Cliff Bramble.

As an important note, these numbers have been used on reservations around the country, not just in the Atlanta area.

Fake Numbers:

  • 770.680.6018
  • 770.380.6018
  • 678.401.5603
  • 678.401.5610
  • 678.401.5581
  • 678.779.4150
  • 678.957.8855

List of fake names (alphabetical by last name):

  • Bruce Banner
  • Gary Binson
  • Patrick Emerson
  • Ian Harvey
  • Renee Fantom
  • Daniel Gates
  • Dan Houle
  • Bart Kavent
  • Jeff Kline / Mr. Kline
  • Ralph Magore
  • ____ Mason
  • John Miston
  • Alex Peters
  • Diana Prince
  • Tom Reddick
  • Kenny Reese
  • Chris Smith
  • Paul Trakk
  • Mike Waters
  • Rachael White
  • Khaleda Williams
  • Evan Winestead
  • Ellie Worthmore

Cities Affected

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Napa Valley, CA
  • New York City, NY
  • Santa Rosa, CA

Join the Conversation

9 Comments

  1. We’re on to these guys out here in the Bay Area, too. After seeing the Craig’s List Ad, I went to their site (which is down as of about 8:00pm PST) saw our resos advertised, saw all the Atlanta links, and checked my books for ATL area codes (I lived in Candler Park for two years). This made them a little easier to spot out here than ITP, I would imagine.

    I called some of my contemporaries and the word spead. I cancelled the two resos I had, left them messages we were on to them, and got no “irate” phone calls about it; and ten minutes later I got a call from Bouchon in Yountville that the site was down.

    Here are some of the names/numbers used here in SF Bay Area; I will send more as we compile to help y’all weed out the assholes:

    Peters, Alex 678.401.5610
    Smith, Chris 770.380.6018
    Houle, Dan used the first number
    Magore, Ralph used the 770 number
    Worthmore, Ellie (my personal favorite alias…) used the 678 number

    Props to Kevin; and to Don Hart at JCTKitchen, for spreading the word out here via Facebook.

    If Johnny Drama were here he’d say it: VICTORY!!

    Patrick Loomis
    GM, La Toque Restaurant
    Napa, Valley, CA

  2. I give them credit for at least being educated geeks; Dian Prince and Bruce Banner are the alter egos of the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman, respectively.

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