A St. Johns ice cream shop lost thousands after scammers hijacked its Uber Eats merchant account. Anthony Austin stepped in and got the account control restored.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — What’s supposed to be a sweet side of business turned into a financial meltdown for one St. Johns County ice cream shop owner.
Debra Alessi-Sromovski says she’s been serving up desserts and smiles for more than a year at The Pink Parlor, located near Nocatee. But lately, she’s been watching someone else scoop up her profits.
“I’ve sent demands letters to get payment. They owe me over $3,200,” Alessi-Sromovski said.
The trouble began in June, when she received a suspicious email from Uber Eats warning about unauthorized access to her merchant account. Shortly after, strange phone calls followed, and then, the discovery that someone had taken control of her business profile.
The Pink Parlor’s name was still on the merchant account, but the bank information had been changed. Payments were being redirected to someone else.
“They somehow wiped out my banking information and put in a false LLC,” she said.
Alessi-Sromovski says she immediately contacted Uber Eats. Despite countless phone calls, messages, and even certified letters, she says no one could give her answers or help her regain control.
“I’ve spent hours upon hours trying to solve this, and it’s not only for me. I like my customers that are using it,” she said. “I feel like I can’t stop Uber Eats because I’m providing a service. Sometimes people can’t get out of their homes, and they turn to Uber Eats because they love our ice cream.”
Anthony Austin contacted Uber Eats on her behalf. Within 24 hours, he got a someone on the phone who acknowledged this was a “unique situation.”
In a statement, Uber said it’s cracking down on a rise in predatory scams targeting local businesses:
“Uber is committed to helping protect our communities from predatory scams. We regularly educate our restaurant and business partners to never share account information, such as passwords or verification codes, with anyone and we will never ask you for this information. If a merchant believes their account was compromised, they should report it to us immediately so we can investigate.”
When asked what she hopes happens next, Alessi-Sromovski kept it simple:
“Just to get paid for the services that I’ve provided so that I can continue to offer Uber to my customers.”
After the Ask Anthony team contacted Uber, the merchant account was secured, the correct banking information was updated, and the payment process is being restored. A company representative is also scheduled to visit The Pink Parlor next week to ensure everything is in order.
