A Burger King customer in Chattanooga, Tennessee is warning others to be vigilant after he was allegedly scammed out of $25.
Jeremiah Ortner (@jeremiahortner), posted a video last month on TikTok to share his experience, which has since gone viral, garnering over 1.6 million views.
According to Ortner, he visited Burger King for lunch and ordered a combo meal, paying with his debit card. Later that day, he discovered that there was no charge on his account from the fast food restaurant, but instead a charge for $25 from a tea company he had never heard of. Ortner immediately called his bank to report the suspicious charge and canceled his card.
“I don’t want them spending any more money than they [already] have,” Ortner said. “I call Burger King and let them know what’s going on and the lady that answered the phone was the same lady that took my order at the drive-thru.”
@jeremiahortner Long video but please let ne know if this has happened to you! Burger king worker scammed me out of $25 and theres no telling who else she has done it to.. @burgerking in #chattanooga who do you got working for you? #scammers #scamalert #burgerking #didnthaveitmtway #fraud ♬ original sound – Jeremiah Ortner
Ortner’s suspicions grew when he discovered that the charge from the tea company had been authorized. He called his bank again to report the issue and also spoke with the general manager of the Burger King location. “I definitely don’t want anyone at my restaurant doing this, this is not how we run things, I’ll check into it,” the general manager reportedly said.
The TikToker believes that the Burger King employee who took his order used a Square device to steal his card information. “What I’m thinking happened is the lady at the window at Burger King on Saturday, I think maybe she had like a Square on her phone and swiped my card as on her phone and not the Burger King,” he said. “Because there’s no way that Burger King hasn’t come out and I’ve never shopped at a tea company. So I don’t know what kind of scam they’re running at Burger King.”
Square is a mobile payment company that allows businesses to accept debit and credit card payments through a small, portable card reader that can be plugged into a smartphone or tablet.
Ortner’s video sparked a heated discussion in the comment section, with many users arguing about what really happened and giving their advice.
“This isn’t a Burger King scam, it’s the person working there scam,” one commenter argued, defending Burger King.
A second commenter said, “That’s exactly what happened! She had a Square and stole money from you.”
“Always ask for a receipt,” a third commenter remarked.
This is not the first time that Burger King has been involved in controversy or customer dissatisfaction. In recent months, a series of TikTok videos have exposed some of the problems and conflicts that plague both customers and workers at various Burger King locations. From closed doors to false advertising, these videos capture the drama and chaos that sometimes unfold at the drive-thru or the counter. Some customers have even turned to online platforms like Etsy to buy Burger King coupons or encountered signs that announce “We are out of everything.”
Since the incident, Ortner posted several follow-up TikToks, with the latest one posted this week. In his latest video, he claims he’s received a call from the vice president of GPS Hospitality, a company that operates over 400 Burger King, Popeyes, and Pizza Hut restaurants in 13 states.
“He’s willing to meet with me, Thursday in Chattanooga, and we’re gonna talk about my experience and what happened and go from there and hopefully we can figure something out,” Ortner says in the video.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jeremiah Ortner via Instagram direct messages and to Burger King via press email.
