Victim loses money following taxi scam in Waterloo

One person’s good deed has backfired after they lost money in a taxi scam that took place in Waterloo.

Waterloo Regional Police said the incident happened Oct. 23 around 2:05 a.m. on State Street near Hickory Street West.

The victim was approached by a female suspect who was seen next to a dark-coloured vehicle, claiming she couldn’t pay for her taxi fare because she could only make a tap payment.

Once the victim agreed to help, they gave a male suspect their debit card to complete the transaction, entering their PIN code in front of them.

The suspect then swapped the victim’s card out for a replicate and gave it back to them.

The victim only later realized their card had been swapped out and stolen when they were notified about several cash withdrawals from the account.

Waterloo Regional Police are encouraging members of the public to consider the following tips to help prevent being a victim of a similar scam:

• Do not leave your debit or credit card unattended inside a point-of-sale terminal.
• If there is an error code or the debit machine is not functioning, always remove your debit card before returning the machine for assistance.
• Do not make payments for an unknown person using your personal card in exchange for cash.
• Inspect your card after each transaction and ensure it is your card.
• Shield the keypad when entering your PIN.
• Ensure your bank card is returned to you before leaving the transaction.
• Use contactless payment options, such as tap to pay, whenever possible. No PIN is required for contactless payments.
• Legitimate taxi services will accept cash payment.

The investigation remains open and anyone with information or video footage related to this incident is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777, extension 4496.