Ottawa police issue new warning about card swap scam involving taxis [Video]

Ottawa police are issuing a warning about a spike in reported card swap scams involving taxi fares circulating in Ottawa, the second warning about people being defrauded while offering to help a stranger pay the fare in two months.

Police say people are being approached by a young person claiming they need someone to pay the taxi fare.

“A taxi driver, or someone pretending to be a taxi driver, is typically parked nearby to make the story seem true,” police said on X.

“The young person makes claims about why their payment methods haven’t worked but will offer to reimburse the unsuspecting person with cash if they use their card to pay for the taxi.”

Police say when the person pays the fare, they do not realize that their card has been swapped with someone else’s card.

“The scammers will then use the unsuspecting person’s card until it’s locked,” police …