If you’re interacting with a taxi, make sure it’s a legitimate one: that’s the message from Winnipeg police as a new scam makes its way around the city.
Police said people are putting fake taxi signs on their vehicles and going to busy spots, like mall parking lots, waiting for unsuspecting victims.
When someone walks past the vehicle, police said, a “passenger” will approach them, tell them the cab doesn’t take cash, and ask if the victim can pay for the fare with credit or debit, in exchange for cash.
Once they receive the card, the driver will use a skimming technique to take out more money than the cost of the supposed “fare.”
“There’s a skimming operation that’s happening where they’re able to obtain (the victim’s) PIN number, recover it, save it, then use it again,” Cst. Dani McKinnon told 680 CJOB.
“Then they will withdraw extra money out of that person’s account, to the tune of thousands.”
Police say it’s important to never let a stranger use your card, and to report any suspicious transactions immediately.
Legitimate taxis, they said, will always accept cash, and they can be identified by the name decal of an established cab company, such as Duffy’s, Unicity or Blueline, on the door, as well as a three-digit taxi identification number both inside and outside of the vehicle.