Mario D’Agostino, 61, the former manager of Piccolino in Chester, has admitted to participating in a loyalty scheme scam that defrauded the restaurant of over £21,000.
At Chester Crown Court on July 30, D’Agostino pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.
The court revealed that the scam involved the creation of fake customer profiles to redeem points and discounts. The loyalty program included an introductory offer, providing customers with £20 off their next visit.
In April 2022, the restaurant chain initiated an investigation after discovering an unusually high usage of the introductory offer at the Chester location, where 60% of customers were redeeming points, significantly higher than the average of 7% at other venues.
During the investigation, D’Agostino confessed to being responsible, stating that he and other staff members had created fake email addresses and loyalty profiles to exploit the scheme.
Between June 2021 and July 2022, D’Agostino’s actions resulted in fraud exceeding £21,000.
