Tino’s Greek Cafes Have Credit Card Problems

First off, I don’t think the owners or managers of the Tino’s Greek Cafes had anything to do with the recent credit card fraud suffered by some of their customers. I know several of the owners and they are decent guys. I think they and their patrons got victimized by one of the processing agencies somewhere further up the electronic line.

That being said, you can never be too careful or diligent when presenting a debit or credit card at any restaurant. Think about most times we use credit or debit cards. We are usually within a few feet of the clerk or agent and can easily keep an eye on things. But at a bar, night club, or restaurant, that card can leave your sight for quite some time. Now you can follow your server up to the counter and stand behind them while they run the card (I’ve actually seen some of my more paranoid friends do that) but that’s a bit excessive and can lead to more problems. Just make sure that you have an idea of what’s going on. Check the customer copy of your charge. Stay in the moment (no matter how many Mojitos’s you’ve had).

And go on line and check your card every day. That’s right, every day. Look for any charge that seems unfamiliar or out of place. My Itunes account got hacked last month by some guy in Vietnam to the tune of almost $800. Luckily, I spotted it on the same day it occurred and immediately called my bank. Within a day, with no thanks to Apple by the way (they handled it very poorly), my bank had resolved things and issued me a credit.

This is not to say that some local restaurants have not indeed defrauded customers. I know of several that did or tried to: luckily they are all closed. But Tino’s is not, in my opinion, in that category. Their food’s pretty good and their ethics are solidly in place. It’s a shame this had to happen but if you take the appropriate steps in checking your card on line, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get that next Gyro or Greek Salad at any of the Tino’s locations.