After a Massachusetts butcher shop was scammed out of over $60,000 in a scam, the owner says he isn’t sure how long he can stay open.
Follow NBC10 Boston:
https://instagram.com/nbc10boston
https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston
https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston
https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston
https://bsky.app/profile/nbcboston.com
A Massachusetts butcher says his shop was scammed out of more than $60,000 and has $20,000 in holiday sales frozen amid an investigation.
The owner of Eva's Farm Butcher Shop, a family business in North Andover, says he hasn't been able to pay rent this month and doesn't know what else to do.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
"It's hard, it's hard," said Roberto Alonzo. "That's when I get emotional, because you don't do that."
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Alonzo says the scam began with a group of men placing what he called an unusual order right before the holidays.
"They said they were going to be cooking for shelter homes during the holiday season," Alonzo said. "They showed me a paper, that they had approval from the government and that the government was going to pay for it."
He said the men asked for 700 lbs. of oxtail and 700 lbs. of short ribs, paying for that order with a credit card that cleared.
"We charged the credit card, we got the meat the next day, they came to pick it up… perfect," Alonzo said.
Less than a week later, Alonzo said, they requested more, this time 2,000 lbs. of meat. He took the next payments through the phone.
More North Andover news
Alonzo said the men made a total of four orders and, on that final order, the credit card didn't go through. At that point, the shop was out $62,000 and more than 5,000 lbs. of meat.
Alonzo said he feels betrayed, saying the men shook his hand — "They were Hispanic just like us."
The butcher shop's insurance claim was rejected, so he's trying to find other ways to make up for the loss. North Andover police are investigating, but no arrests have been made so far.
Paula Fleming with the Better Business Bureau encouraged businesses to put protections in place: "Verify the cardholder's identity, it can protect you in the long run."
