{"id":948516,"date":"2026-10-27T19:54:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T19:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/948516\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T19:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T19:54:16","slug":"taxi-scam-in-ottawa-evolving-to-inlclude-food-delivery-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/948516\/","title":{"rendered":"Taxi scam in Ottawa evolving to inlclude food delivery fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"

While officials encourage people in Ottawa\u2019s communities to be kind and helpful to each other, they also say that it shouldn\u2019t come with handing over their debit card.<\/a><\/p>\n

According to police there is a specific scam going around the city that targets people for trying to be helpful to their neighbours. In the fraud, a person could be pretending to need help with a taxi fare or food delivery. The taxi scam has been around for well over a year<\/a>, and continues to be an issue for officers.<\/p>\n

In the incident, a person goes up to a member of the public in and tells them the taxi driver doesn\u2019t accept cash. The person will offer the victim the money after they pay with their debit card.<\/p>\n

When the card is inserted into the machine at some point after the code is entered the driver of the fake taxi switches the card with a similar looking one. Then the suspects get away with the real debit card to withdraw money from the victim\u2019s account.<\/p>\n

Because more people are becoming aware of this version, fraudsters have evolved creating the same scam but with a food or pizza delivery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person says the delivery driver will not accept cash and asks a passerby to pay by debit card in exchange for cash. The same card-switching technique is used to obtain the victim\u2019s card and PIN,\u201d the press release notes.<\/p>\n

Ottawa police are asking people to be aware of the scams to prevent themselves from falling victim.<\/p>\n

The public is asked to only use licensed taxi services, make sure the vehicle is properly marked and never allow someone to handle their bank card. Officers also say that when possible people should be using an app-based payment method.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe cautious if someone asks them to pay for a stranger\u2019s taxi fare or food delivery using their debit card in exchange for cash,\u201d police warn.<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Ottawa as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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