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Eight Halton residents fall for taxi scam

Daniel Monteiro
Daniel Monteiro

​The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) would like to warn citizens of a scam that has been occurring across the Region of Halton.  There have been multiple reports in GTA, and in Halton eight victims have fallen for this scam. 

How the taxi scam works

The scam typically involves two suspects – one acting as taxi driver and the other acting as a customer. The suspects will engage in a loud, verbal argument, where the taxi driver refuses to accept cash from the customer for the fare (often citing COVID-19 as the reason).  The customer will then prey on unsuspecting individuals nearby, asking them to use their debit card to pay the fare in exchange for cash (which is given to the victim at the time).

The intent is to draw the victim to the taxi, where the driver presents a point of sale machine to the victim. The debit card is swiped/inserted into the machine and the PIN number covertly obtained by the suspect. The victim is then distracted by the original customer (suspect) at which point in time the driver switches the debit card, retaining the victims and giving them a different one back. 

The debit card is then immediately used by the suspects to withdrawal money or make purchases.

This scam has been occurring across the province and eight such incidents have been reported in the Region of Halton since late October, 2020 (five incidents in Oakville and three in Burlington). 

How to protect yourself
  • Taxi's DO and WILL accept cash 
  • Never give your debit/credit card to someone else
  • When making a purchase, always remember to cover your PIN when entering it 
  • Be mindful of the point of sale machine when making a purchase and if you suspect it has been tampered with, choose another payment method
  • If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact police immediately

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to contact Detective Constable Mike Tidball of the Halton Regional Police Service – Fraud Unit at 905-825-747 ext. 8743.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers "See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers" at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca. ​


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