Woman used customer credit cards to claim over $1,000 in free food at Twin Cities restaurant, charges say
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minneapolis woman is facing one count of felony theft for stealing more than $1,000 worth of food from a rewards program at a restaurant in South St. Paul with customer credit cards, charges say.
The woman was charged in Dakota County.
According to a criminal complaint filed through the county, the 23-year-old woman — who was a former employee at the Stockyards Tavern and Chophouse — allegedly made a rewards account for the restaurant under an alias with 221 different customer credit cards attached to the account.
Between April 7 and Aug. 23, 2024, the woman used these different forms of payment under her alias, claiming $1,074.30 in free food, charging documents say.
When speaking with investigators, the restaurant's accountant explained that a customer can create a rewards account and associate a credit card with the account. Then, when the customer makes a purchase, the rewards program recognizes the credit card and applies points to the rewards account which can be used to pay for other transactions. Each point roughly equates to 10 cents, charging documents say.
The accountant reported that the woman made the fake rewards account in October of 2023, and would attach her customer's credit cards to the account, slowly accumulating points on the account without ever having to pay for anything.
Charging documents say that the woman admitted to creating the fake account, but said that she never used it for herself. Rather, she said she used the points to discount meals for friends and family.
The woman claims that she thought she was using the rewards system correctly, however she also said that her employer never told her she could use the program in this manner, charging documents state.
The woman is to make her first court appearance in February.
