Calcutta: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has taken the unprecedented step of advising restaurants across the country to double-check before accepting bookings made in the name of the Proteas or individual players.

CSA was compelled to act, on Monday, after fraudsters in the Cape Town area began misusing the Proteas’ name and either walked away/or intended to walk off with a significant sum of Rands.

“The fraudsters make a booking for 20-25 people and present an advance payment, much beyond the expected bill, by cheque. They then promptly call the restaurant which has been targeted and ask for a refund (in cash) of the amount in excess of the guarantee asked for...

“In reality, the restaurant loses big as the cheque eventually bounces and it has already refunded the sum which went beyond the guarantee sought... In the past, fraudsters have also misused the name of the national rugby team,” CSA executive consultant Michael Owen-Smith told The Telegraph.

Just the other day, fraudsters made a booking in the name of left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who hasn’t represented South Africa for 13 months!

Last year, fraudsters even made a booking for 70 guests in the name of Haroon Lorgat, the International Cricket Council’s outgoing chief executive.

That was at a restaurant near Cape Town.

Fortunately, the restaurant owner knows Owen-Smith and casually cross-checked the booking as 70 is a big number. He was stunned to learn that Lorgat wasn’t in South Africa and he wasn’t expected any time soon either.

“Restaurants should realise that no player will call to book for a team dinner... Such bookings are made by a member of the team management or by somebody from CSA, if so required,” Owen-Smith pointed out.

It’s not clear if the restaurants which have been duped have lodged complaints with the police.

The Proteas, meanwhile, leave for New Zealand on Friday. They’ll feature in three T20 Internationals, three ODIs and three Tests between February 17-March 27.