toronto taxi scam

Child arrested in ongoing Toronto taxi scam that went viral on TikTok

Toronto Police have arrested a child who is accused of playing a part in a taxi scam across the city.

As a result, the cops are warning the public of such scams.

It's been reported that a vehicle resembling a taxi will park in a high-trafficked area where one suspect poses as a driver and the other as a customer. 

A fake argument will ensue over the cab not accepting cash and only card payment. It's at this time when the fake customer will approach a victim and ask for help, offering them the cash so they can pay the fare with their own cards.

As the victim is distracted the fake driver will switch the cards after it has been put into a modified point of sale system.

This system will record the victim's pin number and card data and then the suspects will make fraudulent purchases with the card.

Such an event happened on Monday after someone observed a cab alleged to be involved in a similar occurrence at a mall in the Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue area.

It is alleged that police attended the scene and located the vehicle and arrested a 14-year-old child.

The child has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Just days go a TikTok from a Toronto woman, Saja Kilani went viral after she allegedly experienced a similar interaction at Bay and Yorkville.

In this event the woman says she saw the driver switch her card after a young boy asked her to pay his cab's fare. 

"And I thought, you know what, if I was in that situation, I'd want someone to help me," she tells her followers.

Once the driver returned the card to her, she immediately realized it was not hers and she confronts the driver, who eventually returns it.

It is unknown if boy arrested by Toronto Police is the same boy who Kilani was approached by.

Be safe out there folks!

Lead photo by

John Cobb via Unsplash


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