Halton Police is warning residents of a fake taxi scam throughout Halton, including Oakville. Here's what to look for:
The fraud typically involves two suspects – one acting as a taxi driver and the other acting as a customer. The fake taxi driver will refuse to accept cash from the fake customer for a fare. The suspect playing the role of 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 will be given to the victim at the time.)
The intent is to draw the victim to the taxi, where the fake taxi driver presents a point of sale machine to the victim. The debit card is swiped/inserted into the machine, and the suspects covertly obtain the PIN number. The victim is then distracted by the suspect playing the role of customer, at which point the driver switches the debit card (retaining the victim’s card and giving them a different one back.)
The suspects then use the stolen debit card to withdraw money and/or make purchases.
The HRPS is investigating three such occurrences in Oakville over the weekend; however, this scam has occurred across the province for some time.
HRPS investigators also issued a similar warning about this scam in November 2020.
The HRPS would like to remind the public of the following tips:
- Taxis DO and WILL accept cash;
- Never give your debit/credit card to someone else;
- When making a purchase, conceal your PIN;
- 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; and
- If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact the police immediately.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents, or anyone who has information about similar incidents, is asked to contact the Fraud Intake Line at 905-825-4777 ext. 8741.
Witnesses can also submit tips 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.