Ritzy New York Restaurant To Close After Falling Victim to Cyberscam

A ritzy and famous New York restaurant was forced to close after temporarily falling victim to a cyberscam.

The New York Post reports that Gotham Restaurant is temporarily shuttering. The eatery’s co-owner, Bret Csencsitz, said they made the decision after he was swindled out of $45,000.

“We just couldn’t keep our payroll going, we didn’t have enough money so we’re pausing,” he told The Post.

Csencsitz revealed that the thief pretended to work for a payroll company utilized by Gotham. He told the staffer that the payroll company would be changing banking information, which needed updating.

“And I then wired the money to this new account with the company name and their address,” Csencitz said. “It’s not until several hours later we realize something seems a little weird. We fell victim to someone who was able to inject themselves into an ongoing dialogue between ourselves and a payroll company.”

It appears the swindler copied an email format that seemed normal from the payroll company. However, Csencsitz realized too late that the scammer’s email address had an extra K in the URL.

“When you look at it, you wouldn’t notice it normally,” Csencsitz explained. “But eventually when we’re really digging down into why is this happening we found the difference.”

Eater New York reports that this is the second time the famous Greenwich Village eatery has closed down since 2020. At that time, the restaurant at 12 E. 12th St. at University Place was reportedly closed permanently after 36 years in business. However, in 2021, it opened again.

The news outlet reported that Csencsitz sent employees an email that reads, “I regret to inform you that we are forced to discontinue service, effective immediately. We are terminating our workforce as of today. I am seeking additional capital to reopen for service with a new direction at the end of the summer.”

Subsequently, Gotham’s website shared a message regarding the closing. “Please note that now through July, we are pausing regular dining services for a creative refresh,” the statement on the website reads in part. “Stay tuned for special events and the resumption of bar service in the coming weeks. Thank you for continuing the Gotham journey.”