Alleged taxi debit scam thieves seeking bail

Ayman Hajj Ali, left, and Mohamad Fadel were arrested Wednesday and charged Thursday with fraud, robbery and conspiracy.

Two men who posed as taxi drivers accused of swindling 150 people out of $400,000 will be in a Montreal courtroom Friday in an attempt to win bail.

Ayman Hajj Ali and Mohamad Fadel were charged Thursday with fraud, robbery and conspiracy.

Police say one of the men lost his taxi licence last year, which is when the pair hatched the scheme to rent taxis, then steal debit cards from customers and drain their bank accounts.

Officers arrested Ali, 29 and Fadel, 33, on Wednesday, two days after reports of the taxi debit card scam became public.

Matt MacKinnon told CTV he was unknowingly robbed this past Saturday after hailing a cab.

Upon arrival the driver insisted on being paid by debit card, but then said the charge on his portable machine was low, and got another driver to 'lend' him a machine.

It was only later that MacKinnon realized the debit card given to him was not his own. By that time his bank account had been emptied.

Other victims who have did not report the theft to police are being urged to do so by calling Info-Crime at 514-393-1133.