Kingston Police warn new Uber/Taxi scams have been reported

Particular concerns for new university students

“Remember that legitimate Taxi drivers will never refuse cash.”

–Detective David Coffey

Kingston Police worried that new university students may be subject to “fake Taxi scams” in September issued a release August 19th warning residents to use caution when getting in ground transportation vehicles.

“The Kingston Police would like to warn the public of a recent scam in our area. ‘Fake’ taxi/Uber scams have recently been reported in the area and are likely to continue as students return for the upcoming school year,” says the statement.

“This type of crime is generally carried out by scammers utilizing vehicles which look similar to those used by legitimate Taxi companies. In many cases, they will use stolen or fake taxi lights and Ontario licence plates.”

Amey’s Taxi of Kingston was quick to provide visual identification tips when contacted by Global News.

“Our highest priority is passenger safety,” points out Amey’s GM Jenn Nyhof. “Our cars are lit rooflights, City-issued stickers and plates, a driver’s tablet and City-issued driver identification which fake Taxis or fake Ubers will not have.

“If you do not see these items in a Taxi that has approached you, do not get in and do not give the driver your bank card. Contact the police to let them know.”

Nyhof points out that because Toronto Police announced they had busted criminal gangs involved in fake Taxi scams in June, it’s possible scammers are moving on to smaller cities in hopes of finding victims.

On June 19th, Financial Fraud Detective David Coffey was very clear in stating that the fraudsters arrested in Toronto are not an indictment of the legitimate taxi industry.

“The individuals involved in this scheme deliberately deceived their victims into believing they were legitimate taxi drivers,” Coffey said. “We are reminding people to remain vigilant, especially when making card payments. Remember that legitimate taxi drivers will never refuse cash, will not take your card out of sight nor will they ever ask for your PIN. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts, refuse the transaction and report it.”

On August 19th, Kingston Police posted the release below:

“The Kingston Police would like to warn the public of a recent scam in our area. ‘Fake’ taxi/Uber scams have recently been reported in the area and are likely to continue as students return for the upcoming school year.

This type of crime is generally carried out by scammers utilizing vehicles which look similar to those used by legitimate Taxi companies. In many cases, they will use stolen or fake taxi lights and Ontario licence plates.

Often working in pairs, one scammer will pose as the driver while the another pretends to be a passenger. The fake passenger will approach a potential victim claiming to need help as the taxi will not accept cash for a low value fare. The fake passenger askes the victim to pay for the fare using their own bank card in exchange for the cash.  However, when the victim agrees to pay the small fare, their bank card is inserted into a modified point-of-sale terminal which captures the PIN number of that card.

The fake passenger then repays the victim in cash, while at the same time swapping the victims bank card with either a fake one or that from another victim whose account was already depleted.  The scammers then use the stolen card to max out the victim’s bank accounts at local ATM machines and convenience stores. Victims usually do not realize their cards have been switched until several hours later.

Individuals who believe they have been impacted or targeted by this type of scam are encouraged to file a police report either by calling 613-549-4660 ext. “0” or by utilizing our online reporting tool which can be found at www.kingstonpolice.ca

Anyone with information in relation to these incidents can also contact D/Cst. Stefan Walker at swalker@kingstonpolice.ca”