Debit card swapped out, stolen in ongoing Waterloo taxi scam: WRPS

A warning has been given to the general public about an active taxi-based scam in Waterloo, with Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) detailing an incident where an individual had their debit card swapped out and stolen.

The incident itself is said to have happened back on Oct. 23, at around 2:05 a.m., when officers said a victim fell victim to the scam while walking on State Street near Hickory Street West.

Police said the victim saw a dark-coloured vehicle parked on the roadway when a female suspect approached them and stated that she was unable to pay for her taxi fare “because the driver did not accept tap payment,” and requested help from the victim, before the two approached the vehicle.

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“The male driver advised that he was unable to provide the terminal directly because the tap feature was not functioning. The victim then provided the male with their debit card to complete the transaction,” said WRPS in a release.

“The male suspect processed the payment and requested that the victim enter their PIN. During the transaction, the suspect exchanged the victim’s debit card with a similar-looking card and returned the substituted card to the victim.”

The victim said they later discovered that their card had been swapped out during the incident, and that their debit card had been used to conduct “unauthorized cash withdrawals from their bank account.”

At this time, no further details have been released on the two suspects, a man and a woman, involved, with investigations still ongoing through WRPS’ General Investigations Unit.

In light of the recent incident, regional police are encouraging the local community to consider a list of recommendations to prevent themselves from falling victim to any similar scams.

Those recommendations include:

• Do not leave your debit or credit card unattended inside a point-of-sale terminal.
• If there is an error code or the debit machine is not functioning, always remove your debit card before returning the machine for assistance.
• Do not make payments for an unknown person using your personal card in exchange for cash.
• Inspect your card after each transaction and ensure it is your card.
• Shield the keypad when entering your PIN.
• Ensure your bank card is returned to you before leaving the transaction.
• Use contactless payment options, such as tap to pay, whenever possible. No PIN is required for contactless payments.
• Legitimate taxi services will accept cash payment.

Anyone with details on the incident, the suspects involved, or who believes they too may have fallen victim to a taxi scam, is asked to contact WRPS at 519-570-9777, extension 4496.