Toronto police warn public of fake taxi frauds: ‘Keep your card protected’

Toronto police are warning the public about an increase in debit card fraud incidents involving bogus taxi cabs across the city.

Since early October, police say a vehicle resembling a taxi will park in a high-traffic area, where a person will pose as a driver and another pose as a customer.

They say the two people pretend to have an argument and the taxi driver refuses to take cash due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s then a good Samaritan will overhear the fight and will offer to help by offering to pay with their debit card in exchange for cash.

RELATED: GTA police services warn of ongoing, year-long fake taxi scam

The victim will input their PIN for their debit card into the modified machine, and the terminal then records the card data. Police say after the transaction goes through, the Samaritan is given another bank card resembling their own and accepts cash from the fake taxi client.

“The fake customer and taxi driver are then in possession of the actual debit card and use the PIN to make several fraudulent purchases and withdrawals,” police said on Tuesday.

Investigators are urging the public to be aware of these scams, calling on individuals to keep their PINs and bank cards private and not give a personal card to anyone.

“… Do not return a point of sale terminal with your card still inserted,” police said.

They’re also calling on people to inspect bank cards after each transaction and ensure it is your card. Another good practice involves covering your fingers when entering a PIN.

Anyone with information on these alleged scams is asked to come forward.

Next steps if you believe you’ve been a victim of fraud:

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists steps to take following an incident where you feel you may have been defrauded.

• Report the incident to your financial institution and have them place flags on all your accounts. Change all your passwords and report the fraud to both credit bureaus – Equifax and TransUnion

• Stay calm and try to recall as much as possible about the incident and gather any documents or emails/texts or receipts as applicable to your case
• Report the incident to police and be sure to get a file number for future reference. If you find any suspicious activity on your credit report in the days or even months following the incident, update your file with police.
• Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre