Kingston police warning of ‘taxi scam’ in the Queen’s University area

Kingston Police cars are seen in Kingston, Ont., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019

Police in Kingston are warning of an ongoing “taxi scam” in the Queen’s University area.

According to a news release from police, the scam typically involves a scammer approaching a victim, claiming they are having difficulties paying their fare.

“The scammer claims to have had their bank/credit card declined, or that they only have cash, which the taxi driver will not accept,” Kingston Police wrote.

From there, victims will be asked to pay for the fare on their card in exchange for cash. The victim’s card is then discreetly swapped for a similar looking card, and their PIN is stolen, enabling the scammers to access and change the victim’s bank information.

A similar scam was reported in Kingston in February, and Ottawa police are also seeking suspects for taxi scams.

Police say two recent incidents of this scam in Kingston involved a 25-to-30-year-old woman, who was approximately 5’5” tall, and a 30-to-40-year-old man, both of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent. The vehicle involved is a grey Mazda SUV with a “Capital Taxi” sign.

“The Kingston Police are advising residents to never pay for an unknown person’s taxi with their credit and/or bank cards,” police said.

The Canadian Taxi Association says all taxi drivers will accept cash fares.

Anyone who believes they were affected by this scam are encouraged to file a police report online or to contact 613-549-4660 ext. “0”.

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