No Cash, No Car: The Rule That Could Save Your Shop From Fraud [E219]

No Cash, No Car: The Rule That Could Save Your Shop From Fraud [E219]

From Business By The Numbers by Hunt Demarest

April 23, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 219

About this episode

Hunt Demarest discusses the rising threat of customer scams targeting shops and offers strategies to prevent fraud.

Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve What if the biggest fraud threat to your shop isn't a dishonest employee or a shady vendor, but your own customers? What if the payment you accepted last week could be reversed today, and there's nothing the police will do about it? And what if four shops across the country just got hit with the same scam, and yours could be next? In this solo episode, Hunt Demarest, CPA at Paar Melis & Associates, breaks down a wave of customer scams that hit shops from Colorado to Florida in a single week, all targeting one vulnerability most owners have completely overlooked. From a $15,000 BMW driven off without payment to a 28-tire credit card fraud scheme, Hunt unpacks the real math behind what a scam costs your shop, why theft of services is a civil issue the police won't touch, and how the shift to card-not-present payments has quietly handed fraudsters the upper hand. He covers chargebacks, payment types, extended warranty comebacks, and closes with a concrete action plan to lock down your process before it happens to you. Whether you're a seasoned shop owner who's never had a chargeback or someone who…

People in this episode

Host: Hunt Demarest

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, Overdryve

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Paar Melis & Associates

Places: Colorado, Florida

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