Your receivables team’s probably heard every excuse in the book from slow-paying customers. You might want to fill them in on this new tactic.

“The check’s in the mail” just won’t cut it for one Milwaukee-area man — to avoid paying restaurant bills, cab fares and the like, he’d fake a heart attack.

For the most part, the practice was working fine for the man. If he needed a free lift to the mall, he’d hop into a cab and clutch his chest when he arrived. Usually, the driver would leave in a hurry and unpaid.

But things went differently at his last attempt. After running up a $23 bill for a steak dinner, he once again pretended to have a heart attack. But the restaurant contacted the local fire department, who then took the man to a hospital. Once there, the man’s doctor recognized him and informed firefighters that he’d been pulling the same stunt — and ending up with a free ride to the hospital — for several weeks.

The man was charged with defrauding the restaurant as a habitual criminal and faces both a $10,000 fine and up to nine months in prison. The good news: He’ll get all the free meals he can eat if he ends up in the joint — no faked medical emergencies required.

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Tags: Faking illness, Heart attack, Restaurant bills, Steak dinner