OTTAWA,
ON, Aug. 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Generic Taxi roof
light signs available online and confusion over cash payments have
led to a rash of scams and cons involving fake Taxis across
Canada this summer.
Taxi president Way requests Amazon stop
selling generic "Taxi" signs being used in consumer scams across
Canada
Police in Toronto, Sarnia, Sudbury and Ottawa are reporting instances of these scams,
in which a team of two people pretend to be a distressed passenger
and Taxi driver. The fraudster posing as the passenger approaches
the targeted victim (whom police refer to as "the Good Samaritan")
holding cash in hand and saying their driver will not take
cash.
The fake passenger offers to give cash to the
target in exchange for use of their debit or credit card. The
scammer posing as the Taxi driver then swipes the card and steals
the targets Personal Identification Number (PIN), later to drain
their bank account or fraudulently use their credit card.
In Sarnia,
amounts between $980 and $9900 have been stolen this summer.
On August
4th, Canadian Taxi Association president
Marc Andre Way spoke to Andrew Pinsent on CFRA radio and explained,
"Often it is a young person who approaches the target, pretending
to be very upset, claiming they need a debit or credit card because
their driver will not take cash. The fake driver then captures the
PIN number of the victim and uses it to drain their bank
account.
"Sometimes, to show supposed appreciation, the
distressed young person will offer to give cash above the amount of
the fare – for example, offering the target $20 cash to put a $15 charge on their card.
"NEVER give any card to anyone telling you a Taxi
driver won't take cash. All legitimate Taxi drivers are ready to
accept cash; in fact, they prefer cash over anything," Way stated
emphatically.
Two relatively new occurrences appear to be at
work in these latest scams.
First is public confusion over the difference
between ridesharing companies like Uber or Lyft and municipally
licensed Taxi companies.
Rideshare drivers can be booked ONLY through an
account attached to a credit card and are never supposed to take
cash. In contrast, traditional, municipally-licensed Taxi drivers
take both cash and cards, certainly preferring cash whenever
possible.
Second, is the fraudulent use of "Taxi"
roof lights which may have been stolen off of a proper licensed
Taxi; or, more likely, the simply purchased on Amazon or Facebook
Marketplace.
When one of these generic Taxi signs is attached
to the roof of the scammer's vehicle, it adds to the impression
that the pretend distressed passenger and the fake Taxi driver are
legitimate.
Way recently wrote a letter to Amazon CEO
Andy Jassy to request that Amazon
cease selling the generic "Taxi" roof signs being used by criminals
to defraud customers.
"Traditionally in Canadian cities, branded roof
signs were available only through specialty shops which supplied
the Taxi industry. The sellers knew who was making the purchase;
for which Taxi brokerage the person drove; and in most cases, also
installed the roof sign on the legitimate vehicle," Way wrote in
his letter.
"However, the generic signs being sold through
Amazon and other outlets are available to anyone. This is not a
safe, practical way to distribute the trusted 'Taxi' signs which
have become synonymous with physical and consumer safety for over a
century.
"On behalf of the Taxi industry in Canada, I am requesting that Amazon to
consider no longer selling generic 'Taxi' signs. We all fear that
something much worse than a financial scam will be enabled by the
disingenuous use of these Taxi signs by individuals who would
misuse them to physically harm innocent persons. Please assure us
you will act before this happens.
Taxi News contacted Amazon regarding the sale of
generic "Taxi" signs and the dangers associated with them and
received the following reply from Octavia
Roufogalis of Amazon Canada:
"Safety is a top priority at Amazon, and we
require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable
laws and regulations. These lights are legal to sell in
Canada and as a result can be
listed for sale in the Amazon.ca store. Unfortunately, like
many products, these products can be misused. Amazon will
continue to monitor the situation and adapt to any developments on
regulation and compliance of these items."
In his interview with Andrew Pinsent, Way listed things consumers
should look for in a legitimately licensed Taxi including a
municipal tariff card hanging over the passenger seat and visible
from the back; a meter running in the front, and the driver's
identification card posted in the front; and usually a
municipally-issued Taxi plate number painted on the sides of the
vehicle and stamped on a metal plate affixed to the trunk.
A vehicle lacking these items, but equipped with
a generic roof sign, is likely fake.
In its August 12
statement, the Ottawa Police
fraud squad advised:
- Don't accept to pay with your debit or credit card for someone
else's transaction even if you are offered monetary compensation,
equivalent or superior to the original transaction amount.
- When making purchases, protect your PIN.
- Do not share your PIN with anyone.
- Choose a PIN that is not easy to guess – avoid birthdays and
phone numbers, etc.
- Keep a close watch on your incoming bank and credit card
statements.
- For more tips, click here.
Video Links:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14AG-yMdg19O2RZAW-ekhWX4n3RjdH1HZ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z5V3pkiTfMfZRrHrUqbJHu5csKSC4xFf/view?usp=sharing
For new materials as they are posted, visit the
Canadian Taxi Association website at
https://cantaxi.ca/
SOURCE Canadian Taxi Association