A casual McDonald’s run took an unexpected turn for one Maryland woman who believes a drive-thru worker tried to steal her debit card information.
TikTok creator Diamond (@cubiczrconia) shared what happened in a video that’s now been viewed more than 105,000 times, warning others to be alert when paying at fast-food windows.
Maryland Woman Says Something ‘Wasn’t Normal’ During Her Drive-Thru Order
In the clip, Diamond explains that the McDonald’s encounter started like any other.
“I went through the drive-thru yesterday, ordered my food, and paid with my debit card,” she says. But what happened next immediately felt off.
After she handed her card over, the employee closed the window and processed the payment. Diamond waited for her card back, but the worker allegedly didn’t return it.
“She opens the window and says, ‘One sec,’ then closes it again,” she says. “I’m like, why isn’t she giving me my card back?”
When the window opened again, the worker told her she’d get her card at the next window. That’s when Diamond’s alarm bells went off.
“I show her my Chime app, and I’m like, ‘The money was already taken out. Why do you still need my card?’” she recalls telling the worker. “And she doesn’t tell me why. She just repeats herself.”
At that point, Diamond refused to move. “I get assertive and say, ‘No, give me my damn card back now. I’m not leaving this window until I get my card,” she says.
After some hesitation, the worker finally handed it over. “No money had been taken out,” Diamond adds, “but it was just weird.”
She explains that she once worked in fast food, so she knows how the process typically works.
“The next window is run by a different person in another room,” she says. “Why are you gonna pass my card around the shop? That’s weird.”
‘My Entire Bank Account Could Have Been Drained’
Diamond says she felt uneasy long after she left the restaurant. “Had I not known that wasn’t normal, I probably would’ve just driven off,” she says. “Then a couple days later, my entire bank account could have been drained.”
She adds that when she posted about the experience on Facebook, many people claimed similar situations had happened to them—some even said they later noticed fraudulent charges for places like SeaWorld.
“Be careful out here,” Diamond says. “I’m just gonna start paying with cash whenever I go through the drive-thru now.”
Other Cases Of McDonald’s Workers Caught Stealing Card Info
Diamond’s experience isn’t the first time fast-food workers have been accused of card theft. In North Carolina, a 19-year-old McDonald’s employee was charged with 26 counts of identity theft after reportedly stealing credit card numbers from customers, as per ABC11.
Meanwhile, in Michigan, four former McDonald’s workers were arrested for copying customers’ cards and using them to make more than $50,000 in fraudulent purchases, according to local reports.
And on social media, others have shared nearly identical experiences, warning that it only takes a few seconds for someone to record your card number or take a photo of it out of view.
How To Protect Your Card Information
Experts say cases like this show why staying alert is crucial. According to Fidelity, identity theft and credit card fraud have skyrocketed in recent years, with one in twenty adults affected in 2021 alone.
Some of their top safety suggestions include:
- Use contactless payments when possible. Tapping your card or using a digital wallet transmits a one-time code instead of your actual card number.
- Turn on fraud alerts. Many banks let you set up text or email alerts for every purchase, helping you spot suspicious activity quickly.
- Consider freezing your card if you suspect something’s off. Most apps allow you to lock your card instantly.
Viewers Weigh In
People in the comments shared their own stories and precautions after watching the video.
“This is why I stay ordering my food through the mobile apps…” one viewer wrote.
Another added, “This happened when I worked at Wendy’s and they racked up around 15k before they found out who it was.”
@cubiczrconia @McDonald’s @McDonald’s Corporate
Someone else admitted they don’t take chances anymore: “I’ve become such a Karen as I got older cause even when she gave back the card I wasn’t leaving till I saw manager’s face. Cause if you wanna play with my money, I’ll play with yours too.”
A fourth commenter, who works in fast food, said they take extra care for that very reason. “I put my card reader on the ledge by the window so the customers can see where their card is at all times because of the fact people are worried about this,” they wrote.
BroBible has reached out to Diamond and McDonald’s via email for official comment.