The Sarnia Police investigation regarding an ongoing taxi scam has now expanded to twelve (12) incidents as more victims come forward.
Previous Release: https://www.sarniapolice.ca/news/235/two-incidents-involving-fake-taxi-frauds/
The individual losses, at this time, range from $980 to $9,900.
In this fraud, the alleged taxi driver pulls up, or is waiting with a passenger. They approach a good samaritan and make a pitch to help the passenger pay for the cab. They will ask for assistance with a small fare and ask the good samaritan to pay with their debit card.
The scammers will come up with an emotional appealing scenario such as the cab doesn't accept cash, or that they are helping a child with a relatively small fare. The scammer may even return cash to the good samaritan in exchange for the use of their debit card. The most common method has been to ask for help with a $7.50 cent fare and return $10.00 in cash to the individual for their assistance.
The scammers then take possession of the person's bank card and return a fake one in return. They have also successfully captured the person's PIN during the fake transaction.
At this point, this taxi scam has defrauded local residents of between $20,000 - $30,000 over a two-day span on July 13th and July 14th.
The Sarnia Police Service is currently gathering available evidence, however, the descriptions of the vehicles and individuals vary. It is possible that more than one group of individuals may be responsible.
If you are or have been approached by these individuals, please call the Sarnia Police Service and speak with Detective Constable Pat Moloney at (519)344-8861 x 6239.
The Sarnia Police Service is reminding citizens to safeguard their personal banking information. So far in 2024, the Sarnia Police Service has investigated 294 fraud occurrences (+13% from the same period in 2023). In many instances, vigilance and verification of unsolicited requests help prevent financial loss and victimization.