Halton police say taxi scam being reported in the region

Halton police are warning the public about a scam happening in the region.

Police say it typically involves two people – one acts as a taxi driver and the other a rider.

The pair will have a loud argument, where the taxi driver refuses to accept cash for the fare, typically citing COVID-19 as the reason.

The fake customer will then ask people in the area if they would be willing to use their debit card to pay the fare in exchange for cash, which is given to the person.

The intent is to draw the victim to the taxi, where the driver presents a machine to pay the fare.

After the victim enters their PIN, they’re distracted by the fake customer and the driver switches the debit card, returning a different one to the victim.

The pair then use the victim’s card to make withdrawals and purchases.

Halton police say this scam has been happening across the province. There have been eight incidents in Oakville and Burlington, since late October.

Police say taxis do and will accept cash and are reminding people to always cover their PIN when entering it into a machine.