‘Don’t be a victim’ – Anele shares experience with new restaurant booking scam
· Citizen
Fraudsters have found a new target in Sandton’s dining scene, spoofing contact details for Vlãmo, one of the city’s most anticipated new restaurants. A post on the restaurant’s official Instagram account warned this was done to intercept bookings from unsuspecting diners before the venue has even officially opened.
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The scam works by hijacking or manipulating the restaurant’s online listings, so that when people search for Vlãmo and try to make a reservation, their calls are redirected to a fraudulent number instead of the real one.
The scheme was flagged on 94.7 FM’s Anele and The Club, where host Anele described how the fraud unfolds based on a recent, personal experience.
‘Why would you pay?’
Speaking to her co-host, she explained that she had planned to try out new restaurant, Tightline Jozi with her husband Buzza and some friends. On the way, they decided to try out Vlãmo instead.
“So, on the way, my husband calls Vlãmo because he Googles the number, calls them just to let them know that we’re coming.
“[He] chats to this person. Now Buzza is chatting to the person that we’ve Googled, right? And I’m busy trying to text the owner to be like, ‘please make sure that you guys can like save us four seats, whatever we want to come through to help you with the tasting.’ Then I stopped talking to the owner because Buzza’s got somebody from the restaurant on the line.”
Anele says she was passively listening to her husband’s call until something he said piqued her interest.
“Buzza’s like, ‘Oh, okay. So where do I pay the deposit?’ And it’s normal that restaurants are like, ‘Okay, if you’re booking a place for five people, can you just give us money to secure your spot?'”
She questioned why he’d need to pay but says they chose to rather pay on the spot when they get there because they were close by. Upon arrival, they weren’t asked for any money, but she was alerted to what is going on at the end of the evening.
“He Googles Vlãmo… Somebody hacked my profile and changed the number to be his number, so that when people call for bookings, he is taking [them],” she said, recounting a warning by the restaurant’s owner after she visited the restaurant.
A soft launch
Vlãmo, the latest venture from restaurateur Mun Manal of Bryanston favourite Ukko, is still in its final construction and testing phase at Sandton Gate.
The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, drawing on the Goddess of Water for its concept, is set to feature handcrafted pasta, fresh seafood, charcoal-grilled dishes, a marble bar, and a wraparound terrace overlooking Winnie Mandela Drive.
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Crucially, it is not yet open for general bookings, a gap scammers appear to be exploiting.
The restaurant has since addressed the scam directly on Instagram: “We’ve become aware of accounts and numbers falsely claiming to take reservations on Vlãmo’s behalf. To be clear: the only number for bookings is 010 634 4065. We do not take payment, deposit, or card details over the phone or via direct message to secure a table. If you’ve been asked for payment to ‘confirm’ a booking, it did not come from us. Please report it and contact us directly to verify.”
A familiar pattern
This kind of booking scam is not new to Johannesburg’s affluent northern suburbs, where buzz around premium new venues creates fertile ground for fraud. Similar schemes have previously hit hotels, restaurants and professional services, often run by organised operators who redirect legitimate enquiries to numbers under their control before requesting upfront payments or deposits.
Because Vlãmo hasn’t officially launched, any request for advance payment to “secure” a table should be treated as an immediate red flag.
Anyone approached in this way is urged to verify independently through the restaurant’s official channels rather than responding directly.
How to avoid a booking scam
- Always Google the official contact number independently, rather than relying on links or numbers sent in unsolicited messages.
- Confirm bookings only through Vlãmo’s verified number: 010 634 4065.
- Never share card details, make EFT payments, or send deposits via phone or DM to secure a reservation.
- Report suspicious activity to the restaurant directly and to the relevant authorities.