A food business in Antigua has issued a public warning after falling victim to a catering scam involving identity theft.

The Chef Xperience 268 said it was targeted by scammers posing as a customer named Salem Hadeed. A large last-minute catering order was placed, prompting the business to waive its usual deposit policy.

After preparing the order, staff were unable to make contact for delivery and later discovered the request was fraudulent. The real Salem Hadeed confirmed his name had been used repeatedly in similar scams across the island.

The perpetrators are reportedly using multiple phone numbers and both male and female voices to target food service providers.

The business has urged others not to fulfil orders under the name “Hadeed” without confirmed identification and a deposit. The matter is now under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department.