A Mexican family has been outed as scammers after being caught on video placing cockroaches on their plates at a restaurant just so they can then complain and leave without paying the bill.

The Puerto Chale restaurant in Guadalajara, Mexico, recently took to social media to shame a family of scammers who had threatened to make a scene because of a cockroach they had allegedly found in the dishes they ordered unless the restaurant agreed to not charge them for their meal. Although confused by the incident, as the restaurant reportedly has a very strict hygiene policy, management decided to give in to the patrons’ demands just to avoid an unnecessary scandal. However, as soon as the family left, they checked the surveillance cameras and found proof that the whole thing had been premeditated.

The family of four can be seen enjoying a feast at Puerto Chale that would have cost them a pretty penny, only at one point the blonde woman at the head of the table can be seen taking out a small container from her purse and the emptying its contents over the plates on the table. The cockroach inside doesn’t want to fall out of the container, so the woman takes a fork and tries to force the bug out.

With the cockroach planted, the family calls a waiter and fakes outrage and disgust over the cockroach they themselves had planted. After complaining about the incident, the family leaves Puerto Chale with all the food they had ordered packed to go, but without paying anything for it.

Knowing how strict the restaurant’s hygiene policy was, the staff immediately checked surveillance cameras to see how the cockroach may have ended up on their customer’s plates and were surprised to see the patrons planting the bug themselves. They then uploaded the clip online as a cautionary tale.

After the video went viral, a number of X (Twitter) users came forward to accuse the Mexican family of having scammed several restaurants in Guadalajara using the same tactics. Clips and photos of the suspects, including the blonde matriarch who was dubbed the ‘Lady Cucaracha’ (Cockroach Lady) have since been going viral online.

“Today we had an unpleasant experience. When we checked our cameras, we realized that a table played tricks on us. They brought a cockroach and planted it on one of our plates, Puerto Chale said in a statement. “Then they complained to one of our waitresses, making a fuss to get attention so that we wouldn’t charge them the bill. Finally, they ordered everything to go. We remind you that at Puerto Chale we always take care of the hygiene of all our food to provide you with the best experience.”