Protecting against customer fraud in delivery

Customer fraud is a growing problem in delivery. Some customers order, eat, and then claim a refund for “missing item” or “poor quality.” Platforms often give them the refund automatically.

Warning signs: a customer who complains with every order, complaints about specific items (the most expensive ones), vague descriptions (“everything was bad”), and different addresses with each order.

Prevention begins with documentation. Photograph each order before closing. Use security-labeled bags. Note the preparation and delivery times.

Report suspicious customers to the platforms. Uber Eats and Deliveroo have anti-fraud teams. If a customer files 3 complaints in a month, they are likely fraudulent.

Systematically challenge suspicious refunds. Even if the success rate is only 50%, contesting sends a signal to platforms that you are vigilant, and fraud detection algorithms take this into account.

As a last resort, you can block a customer on certain platforms. Contact your account manager with proof of repeated fraud so he can be excluded from your restaurant.