VietNamNet Bridge – Hao Long Son Restaurant in the southern city of Vung Tau has been fined VND10 million ($500) and will be closed for three months for “mistakenly” taking VND22 million ($1,100) from the account of a Japanese diner.

The restaurant has closed.

The incident occurred on the night of January 1 when a Japanese tourist named Kado and a Vietnamese woman named Le Thi Hong Thanh went to the restaurant, located at 94 Hoang Hoa Tham, for a late meal. They ordered several seafood dishes, one bottle of beer and two glasses of orange juice.

The cost of the meal was VND2.2 million and the Japanese diner paid by Visa card. He gave his card to the restaurant owner named Nguyen Nhu Khanh, 28. After leaving the restaurant, Ms. Thanh found that the amount of money on the bill was VND22 million, not VND2.2 million. She reported the incident to the authorities.

The restaurant owner explained that after learning about the “mistake”, on January 20 and 21 he went to a bank to transfer the excess money to the Japanese diner, but the transactions failed. Finally on January 28 he successfully deposited the money back into the Japanese diner’s account. However, this has not been verified by the authorities.

Khanh also said that this had been a mistake caused by the “machine”.

The case has been handed over to police for inspection and Khanh was asked to offer an apology to the Japanese diner, who is staying in a hotel in Vung Tau.

According to an inspector, the restaurant may be closed permanently, not just for three months.

Le Ha