Fraudsters have hacked the email of Terry Laybourne-owned Newcastle restaurant 21 and sent false invoices demanding £412 from customers.
The upmarket Quayside bistro has reassured its foodie fans following the scam, which left some wondering if they had had "one hell of a blast and totally forgotten".
On Tuesday people on the mailing list for 21 received an email which read: "Dear Customer,
"This is a friendly reminder to let you know that Invoice 299 is 8 days past due. If you have already sent the payment, please disregard this message. If not, we would appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
"Thank you for your business. Cheers, 21 Newcastle ."
But restaurateur Terry Laybourne's 21 Hospitality Group, which also runs eateries including Broad Chare and St Vincent, posted on Facebook: "Sad to report they we’ve been hacked. Don’t worry, none of you lovely people owe us £412.
"Please ignore the email and remove it from your system. Sorry for any inconvenience, we’re working on it to solve the issue. Thanks for your patience."
One person joked: "Shucks! Here’s me thinking I’d had one hell of a blast and totally forgotten!"
Another wrote: "Ahh champion, couldn’t remember what I had eaten!"
