Ottawa police seek suspects in latest ‘taxi scam’

Legitimate taxis will be properly marked with roof signs, taxi plates, and ID numbers on the vehicle. (CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Police Service is looking for suspects after new reports of a “taxi scam” in the city involving fake taxis and thefts of credit and debit cards.

This scam has been seen in Ottawa before and has also appeared in other places, like Kingston. It typically involves two people working in tandem, one as the driver and the other as a passenger who tells a passerby that they cannot pay their fare in cash and they need the stranger’s debit or credit card.

The scam usually involves the “passenger” asking the victim to cover the fare on their card and offering an equivalent amount of cash in exchange. During the transaction, however, the victim’s card is swapped with a fake, or with another card that was previously stolen, and the victim’s PIN is captured. The fraudsters then use the stolen card to make withdrawals and purchases before the victim is aware they were given the wrong card back.

Det. Shaun Wahbeh, of the Ottawa Police Service financial crimes unit, told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal on Wednesday that the scam preys on people’s desire to do a good deed.

“We all want to help, especially if they’re using like 17-, 18-year-old passengers who are begging, ‘please help me,’” he said.

The victim is never asked to get into the vehicle, but once they use their card in the phony card reader, the scammers capture the PIN and hand back another card that isn’t theirs.

“They have matching cards for everything. If you give them an RBC card, you’re getting back an RBC card. If you give them TD, you’re getting back TD,” he said. “So, now, they have your debit card, your PIN, and you walk away with somebody else’s debit card. They rush to the bank, make a couple withdrawals, and within five, 10 minutes, you can be out $4,000.”

Ottawa police say, in the latest cases, the suspects may be using a dark-coloured Mazda sedan or a white Kia sedan. The vehicle may appear legitimate, including the possible use of an orange taxi sign on the roof of the vehicle.

“We have a couple of reports of stolen taxi signs from Blue Line and Capital Taxi, so they’ve gone on the lot and stolen taxi signs and put them on top of their car. So, when they roll up, at first glance, it looks like it’s a Capital or Blue Line taxi,” Wahbeh said.

The suspects are described as:

1. Male, Middle Eastern appearance, short dark hair, well-trimmed beard
2. Male, Middle Eastern appearance, light complexion, shoulder-length hair, no facial hair, approximately 5’9”, slim build, last seen wearing a black coat with a fur-trimmed hood

Police are reminding residents that a legitimate taxi will have a roof sign, a taxi plate, and an ID number on the side. All legitimate taxi drivers accept cash payments.

Wahbeh says the scammers have been spotted recently in Riverside South, South Keys, Billings Bridge, and around the campuses of Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. There have been seven reports in the last couple of days, he said.

“We had one victim that cancelled (their card) immediately, and no damage was done, but that’s rare,” Wahbeh said. “A lot of times, the victims are only realizing when they get an alert from their bank that says they just withdrew $2,000. Then they check the card and realize it’s not their card… and when they do get money, it’s tough to get the money back from the bank.”

In this case, Wahbeh says the best advice is to turn the person down.

“They prey on the fact that we’re going to help a 17-year-old or 18-year-old in trouble because that’s human nature,” he said. “All I’m doing is using my card. It’s not costing me anything; I’m getting the money back in cash. I’m just doing someone a good deed. And that’s where they get you.”

Stolen sign a “troubling development”

Coventry Connections, a local taxi company, says they became aware of the latest taxi scam just days ago, when an individual drove into their yard in the middle of the afternoon and stole an official taxi roof sign from one of their vehicles.

The incident was caught on surveillance video, and the suspect’s licence plate was obtained and shared with both Ottawa Police Service and bylaw officers.

Despite the quick response, several people were reportedly scammed later that same night and the following evening.

“This particular individual was quite bold to come in the yard and steal one of the roof signs,” said Marc Andre Way, President and CEO at Coventry Connections.

“We did put out all the information very quickly. But unfortunately, a few individuals got caught in the scam... We also heard this morning that there are scams happening in Kingston.”

He says a taxi is always well identified, with numbers on the side, a plate and all drivers have identification.

“Taxis do accept cash. We understand that they’re preying on good Samaritans that are wanting to be helpful, but the reality is that there are not transactions that happen outside of a cab, that this doesn’t happen,” Way said.

Way says what makes this case particularly concerning is how the suspect obtained a legitimate taxi roof sign — something industry officials say is a new and troubling development. He says the added layer of authenticity can make it harder for people to spot the scam.

Kingston police said on Wednesday that recent reports of the scam in that city involved a vehicle with a Capital Taxi sign on it.

Tips from Ottawa police

• Only use licensed taxis or reputable ride services
• Ensure the vehicle has proper identification and markings
• Do not allow anyone else to handle your bank card
• Shield your PIN when entering it into a payment terminal
• If possible, use cash or a trusted app-based payment method

If you believe you have been a victim of this fraud, contact your financial institution immediately and report the incident to police.

Wahbeh also says you should call police immediately if you suspect someone is attempting the fraud, as well, even if you don’t fall victim.

“What happens is they hit a city or town for a couple days and then go onto the next... They go city to city until they get some heat and then they move on,” Wahbeh said.

“If we can just nab the vehicles, and that’s thing too, if maybe by people knowing, maybe if somebody calls us right away and says they’re on this street, or they’re on this campus, or they’re at this mall, we can try to pull them over and stop them and arrest everyone involved.”

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Fraud Unit at 613-236-1222, extension 7300, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppers.ca.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque

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