Buster

Here's The Authentic Receipt At The Heart Of The “1% Tip” Hoax Story

 

Here’s the actual credit card receipt on file with the California restaurant at the center of the "1% tip" hoax that just went viral with a vengeance.

As TSG first reported yesterday, the story that a nasty, rich California banker denigrated a waitress is a scam. The receipt at the heart of the hoax was Photoshopped and altered to make it appear that the businessman--a supposed proud member of the “1%”--wrote “Get A Real Job” and left the server with a one percent tip as a way to needle a member of the lowly “99%” class.

Click here for a side-by-side comparison of the altered and the actual receipt.

A spokesperson for True Food Kitchen today provided TSG with the above copy of the credit card receipt from the Newport Beach eatery’s business records. The February 16 receipt is the “Guest Copy,” while the one used in the hoax is the “Merchant Copy,” indicating that the scammer sought to make it appear that the altered receipt had actually been left behind at the restaurant.

In an e-mail, restaurant spokesperson Jami Reagan noted, "The guest took the merchant copy but completed and signed the guest copy."

The eatery redacted the last four digits of the Visa card used by the customer, whose name was also blacked out (along with his/her signature).