Massachusetts butcher shop scammed out of $62K in meats

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — By the end of this year, the United States could see $12.5 billion in credit card fraud. Merchant Cost Consulting said the average amount charged in fraudulent transactions is $400.

If only that were the case for Eva’s Farm Butcher Shop. Just before Christmas, owner Roberto Alonzo said the store was cheated out of $62,500 worth of meat.

And the pretense of the theft was stomach-turning.

“They were looking to buy meat from us to make food for shelters and homeless people around for the holidays,” said Roberto’s daughter, Eva. “And we were like, ‘That is fantastic.’”

Unfortunately, these new customers needed much more meat than the small shop could supply, so they were referred to a local wholesaler. But they insisted on buying from Alonzo.

Touched by the prospect of helping feed the poor at Christmas, Alonzo arranged to obtain thousands of pounds of short ribs and oxtails from a wholesaler.

“He immediately thought, this is such an amazing thing that they’re doing and let’s just see how we can help them and provide this meat for them,” Eva remembered. “It was really a sense of excitedness to support them.”

Four times, the new customers purchased thousands of dollars of meat, using a credit card. The last time was on Dec. 23. And that’s when the Alonzos realized that they’d been scammed.

“On the fourth time they paid, it went through,” said Eva. “They left and we got a call a few hours later. Someone said, ‘You just used my credit card. I don’t live in Massachusetts. I’m not from Massachusetts and you just used my credit card at your business.’”

Eva said they immediately knew the card must have been stolen.

North Andover Police are now investigating the alleged fraud, while the store tries to recoup not just the $62,000 it spent on meat, but another $20,000 in legitimate credit transactions -- frozen by the credit card company as it investigates the fraud -- a process that could take months.

The family consulted a lawyer and he told them this:

“The person whose credit card was stolen gets their money back and the person who stole the credit card gets what they purchased,” Eva explained. “But the middleman, which, unfortunately, is us, just loses out.”

Loses out, that is, until suspects are arrested and restitution ordered.

Roberto Alonzo feels betrayed.

“My only thought the first time was, we were doing the right thing,” he said. “They came in here and they talked to us like a friend. And that’s where he got us. And that’s what hurts me, because I’ve been there. I came here to work, and that’s what I do.”

The Alonzos have set up a GoFundMe to help recoup what was lost before Christmas, but they ask that those who can’t contribute consider shopping at their store, which sells meat, produce, beer and wine.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW