A scam involving fake taxis used to steal people’s debit and credit cards appears to have made its way to Abbotsford, B.C.
The scam involves the use of a black vehicle with a taxi sign on the roof and two fraudsters, one posing as a driver and one as a passenger.
Police say the fake customer pretends to have trouble paying their fare and approaches victims asking for their help to cover the cost. When a victim offers their card, the scammers then covertly swap it out for a bogus one.
Burnaby RCMP issued a warning about the scam last Friday, when the occupants of a black Hyundai Elantra employed the scheme against people at the city’s SFU campus.
Police said the scammers then made fraudulent purchases and withdrawals using the purloined cards.
Both suspects were described as men in their early 20s.
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On Wednesday, Abbotsford police said two men in the same age bracket in a black Hyundai Elantra were reported employing the same scam in their city.
“AbbyPD is warning the public to be aware of this scam and report any suspicious activity,” police said.
“Investigators believe this taxi to be fraudulent and not associated with any reputable company.”
Anyone who is approached by the occupants of a similar vehicle or with a similar story are urged not to hand over their cards and to call police immediately.
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