Roti Restaurants, a Chicago-based chain specializing in fast, fresh Mediterranean-style food, has been served with a class action lawsuit, alleging the chain prints too many digits from its customers’ credit and debit cards on receipts.
On Dec. 16, plaintiffs Cooper Lindner and Kim Smith filed their complaint in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging Roti’s practice of printing the first six digits and the last four digits of a customer’s 16-digit card number violates federal law.
The plaintiffs are represented in the action by attorneys Karl G. Leinberger and Paul Markoff, of the firm of Markoff Leinberger LLC, of Chicago.
Roti operates 13 restaurants in Chicago and the suburbs, and other locations in and around Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit centers on Roti’s purported practice, since at least July 2014, of printing more than five digits from customers’ credit and debit card numbers on their receipts.
The lawsuit noted the plaintiffs believe the practice violates the federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which mandated retailers and restaurants truncate customers’ credit and debit card numbers to no more than five digits on customer receipts, out of fear the printed numbers could assist identity thieves.
According to the lawsuit, each of the named plaintiffs purchased food at Roti restaurants in July 2016 and each of their receipts included the first six digits and the last four digits of their card numbers.
The lawsuit alleged Roti should have been aware, as of July 28, 2014, of the federal credit and debit card number truncation requirements, as, at that time, Visa, Mastercard and other credit card companies notified merchants in writing of the requirements.
The complaint asks the court to expand the lawsuit to include a class of additional plaintiffs to potentially include anyone who bought a meal at Roti restaurants and paid with a credit or debit card, since July 28, 2014.
The complaint asks the court to award statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, as well as punitive damages and attorney fees.