Ontario woman loses $14,000 to taxi scam

An Ontario woman thought she was helping another woman pay for their taxi ride, but instead she was defrauded of $14,000.

It happened in a parking lot in early August, Maria Padagdag, of Woodbridge, told CTV News Toronto.

"This lady came from behind my car and she said, 'Can you help me pay my taxi?'" Padagdag recounted.

"I handed over my debit card and I put the PIN in the machine, and the lady gave me $10, and I went off on my way home."

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Padagdag said she didn't check her bank account. Four days later, she said she got a call from her bank, informing her that her account had been compromised and she was out $14,000.

"Why me? I was just trying to help her because she needed help," said Padagdag. "I'm really shaking right now and I don't know what to do."

Toronto Police issued a warning due to a rise in taxi scams, as more than 800 have been reported in 2024 so far with losses of more than $1.6 million.

"They are going to give you a duplicate card that looks similar to yours, and they are keeping your card and your PIN," said Det. David Coffey with the Toronto Police Fraud Division.

Coffey says the police receive reports of taxi scams every day, adding that there has been an increase in this type of fraud since criminals are able to buy generic taxi signs off websites like Amazon.

"If it's a taxi sign on top of the roof that has a charging cable that snakes in through the window, that I can guarantee you will be a fake taxi," said Coffey.

Police urge anyone taking a cab to beware of any that doesn't accept cash or does not have a meter, adding to never hand over your debit card when making a payment. They warn that fake taxis tend to wait outside of sporting events, bars and movie theatres in hopes of catching people off guard.

In Padagdag's case, she's a customer of the Bank of Montreal (BMO), which has been looking into the fraud for nearly four months.

"It is an extremely difficult situation for anyone to fall victim to a criminal scam and we're always here to support our customers. We immediately reviewed this matter after our customer was in contact with us and had a good conversation with them," a BMO spokesperson told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

"The case has now been resolved as part of our regular process."

After CTV News Toronto contacted BMO, Padagdag said she was given a complete refund.

"This is such a relief, I am so glad that this has finally been dealt with," Padagdag said.