A Toronto cabbie is facing numerous charges in an ongoing investigation into debit-card fraud.
On Friday, investigators from three police divisions seized cash, counterfeit identification, debit cards and a stolen SUV, all proceeds of a card-switching scheme in which the victims were taxi customers.
Toronto Police Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu told AM640 that the case focused on passengers who used debit cards to pay for rides in a CO-OP branded taxi cab dating back to the fall of 2015.
“A taxi customer would have their card switched after they paid for their fare,” said Sidhu, “and actually their card would be skimmed for their PIN by the same payment terminal before that.”
READ MORE: Police release images of man wanted in connection with various downtown Toronto thefts
Sidhu went on to say that the quality of the replacement cards was high as many customers did not notice that the original had been switched.
“You would just get something that had the feel of your card but in that instance, you would be getting back a card that did not belong to you.”
Police searched a home in the area of St. Clair Avenue East and Brimley Road on Sept. 1 and recovered items valued at around $100,000 related to the fraud.
It’s believed the perpetrator would use the stolen debit cards to withdraw cash and make purchases at stores.
Adnan Jahangir, 44, of Scarborough appeared in court on Thursday facing 180 fraud-related charges including multiple counts of theft under, unauthorized use of credit card data, fraud under, and property obtained by crime.
Sidhu said the investigation started after police received multiple complaints involving irregular card usage and the discovery of switched cards.
When asked whether the fraud pointed to a larger network of thieves, Sidhu said at present it’s believed it was a lone operation, however, the investigation is ongoing to determine whether others were involved.
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