‘Be skeptical’: Toronto police warn of ongoing pizza delivery scam

Toronto police are warning of an ongoing pizza delivery scam following several reports of victims being frauded by fake drivers.

Authorities say a dark-coloured vehicle with a Domino’s Pizza sign has been sighted in large retail store parking lots. It’s alleged a female suspect poses as a customer and a male suspect poses as the delivery driver.

A female suspect approaches the victim, asking for help paying for the pizza delivery fee with a debit card, claiming the driver is not accepting cash.

Police said the victim is convinced to help by letting the female suspect use their debit card to pay for the pizza in exchange for receiving cash.

The target is then taken over to the fake pizza delivery vehicle, where they provide the male suspect with their debit card. A PIN will then be entered into a modified point-of-sale terminal that records the PIN and debit card information.

After the successful transaction, the victim is given a different bank card that resembles theirs. The victim then accepts cash from the female suspect before leaving.

“The suspects are now in possession of the victim’s debit card and use the PIN to make several fraudulent purchases or withdrawals,” Const. Laura Brabant said.

Beware of fake wireless point-of-sale terminals: police

CityNews has received similar reports, with one victim claiming they became suspicious of the transaction before handing the two suspects their debit cards.

“I started questioning them, asking why I couldn’t pay with cash,” the Toronto man said in an email to CityNews, noting that the alleged attempt at fraud happened at a retail parking lot in Etobicoke.

“They were insistent. Eventually, I declined to help out. I felt bad at first, but I trusted my gut. They then drove off.”

A Toronto Reddit user shared their experience in a post from late March, saying they were approached by a woman outside Fairview Mall in North York.

“I had heard some stories of fake taxis in Toronto taking debit cards with pins from passengers and then [returning] another debit card,” the Reddit user wrote. “So, I asked the girl if I could tap with my phone [credit card.] She said yes, of course, thanked me a lot, and we both walked to the supposedly Domino’s driver, waiting impatiently in his car.”

RELATED: How a $29 cab ride turned into a $2,500 scam

The Redditor explained that they “finally came back to their senses” and told the female suspect that they weren’t carrying their debit card.

“The girl showed some disappointment and thanked me, and I left the scene.”

Investigators are urging the public to be vigilant, offering some guidance.

“Be skeptical. Most legitimate delivery services accept cash, so if someone tries to convince you otherwise, this is a red flag that this may be a scam,” Const. Brabant said.

“Never hand your card over or disclose your PIN to anyone else, [and] if you do hand over your card, ensure that the card returned to you is yours.”

Toronto police say if you’re asked to insert or tap your card, beware of fake wireless point-of-sale terminals.

“If something seems strange, don’t go through with the transaction.”

If you think you’ve been a victim of debit card fraud, contact your bank immediately.