Police warn of taxi scams in Waterloo Region

A taxi scam is on the rise again in Waterloo Region. CTV’s Krista Simpson shares tips on how to spot it before another well-meaning person loses their money.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is warning residents about a scam involving a man and woman who pretend to be a taxi driver and customer.

They said the passenger would ask an unsuspecting passerby to pay for their ride with a debit card and, in exchange, they would give them cash.

Three incidents were reported on Sunday. One happened in the Pinebush area in Cambridge, another in the Fairway area in Kitchener, and also the Boardwalk in Kitchener.

Police said, in each case, the victim was given a fake debit machine. Once they entered their PIN, the victim’s card was swapped out with a similar one.

The pair then took the real card and cleaned out the victim’s bank account.

“I’ve been driving for 31 years,” said Robert Heinbecker, vice-president of Waterloo Taxi. “ In all those years, I, as a driver, have never had to pull in a third-party individual to get involved in some kind of financial transaction I had with a customer.”

That should have been the first red flag.

“Nobody does that,” he said.

Another concern was the “driver’s” refusal to accept cash.

“Every single taxi driver across the region, and across the country for that matter, will accept cash,” said Heinbecker. “I cannot think of any reason why a driver could not accept cash.”

Heinbecker added there are four taxi companies that operate in Waterloo Region, and all are clearly marked with decals on the sides, fenders and top signs. Drivers have their laminated licenses displayed in the vehicle, and each taxi is numbered. Any concerns about the legitimacy of a driver and vehicle could be called into the business phone number that could verify the location via GPS.

“And if you’re not getting a proper response, it again it means it’s probably not a real company.”

Heinbecker also noted taxi drivers use portable debit machines that can be handed to the person paying, adding another level of safety in a legitimate transaction.

“Never let your debit card out of your sight for any reason. There’s no reason that a driver needs to hold on to your debit card. It should always be in front of you,” Heinbecker said.

Heinbecker also noted most card transactions can be paid for via tap, bypassing the need to enter a PIN.

Waterloo Regional Police are reminding people to never share their debit card information with anyone, especially someone who claims to need help paying for a transportation fare.

For those working in the taxi industry, seeing peoples’ goodwill being taken advantage of is frustrating.

“We’re all wired as people to want to help one another. And so when we’re called upon, we want to do everything we can to give someone a hand. And so it’s really unfortunate that some people take advantage of that good nature,” Heinbecker said.

It’s also a blow to the legitimate taxi industry as a whole, Heinbecker said.

“We’re trying to create and craft a good name for ourselves. There’s a lot of competition out there nowadays, and the last thing we need is for someone who’s trying to take advantage of what we’re building for criminal purposes.”