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An elaborate taxi cab scam in Canada has swinded thousands of dollars from victims with the help of bogus roof signs that are sold on websites such as Amazon.

If you cherished this article and you would like to acquire more info with regards to how much is the new york new york ride kindly visit our web page. The scammers light up their signs and pose as cab drivers to trick people into riding with them - before running off with their bank cards. 

Victims of this scam are told they have to pay with a debit card to ride. The taxi driver will take the card and insert it into a modified point of sale terminal, where the device records the card data and pin, according to police. 

Then, the driver hands them back a fake - but similar-looking - debit card. 

The fraudster either races to the bank, where they withdraw as how much is the new york new york ride as they can, or they make fraudulent purchases - leaving victims with fleeced accounts. 





After falling for the unofficial-lit-up taxi sign, victims of this scam are told they have to pay with a debit card to ride. The taxi driver will take the card and insert it into a modified point of sale terminal, where the device records the card data and pin. Pictured: Victim Jessica Chin King





Calgary resident Kathryn Kozody found $2,000 missing from her bank account after she fell for the fake taxi scam





Fraudsters are planting fake taxi signs on the roof of their cars, then stealing the bank details of unassuming customers (stock image)

A total of 919 reports, totaling $1.7million in losses, have been submitted to the Toronto police department since June 2023, CBC reported.

Toronto resident Jessica Chin King fell for the fake taxi sign. After a 15 minute ride, she discovered that $600 had been withdrawn from her account.

She told DailyMail.com: 'What sold the taxi for me was it had a taxi sign on the top of it. I just found out that anybody can buy them on Amazon and you can use them for whatever.

‘Before I got into the taxi, he asked me if I was paying debit which I found weird and at the end of the ride he handed me a machine, which you can also buy on Amazon and then when I inserted my card, the machine took my card info and my pin.

‘What the scam taxis do how much is the new york new york ride keep a bunch of cards in between their legs and he switched my TD card with someone else's TD card so when he handed me the machine there was somebody else's card in there.'

Kathryn Kozody, who lives in Calgary, discovered $2,000 was missing from her bank account and that she had a debit card with someone else's name.

Kozody told CBC: 'It really felt like an invasion of privacy and a violation to be a victim of this scam.'

The woman said that she started 'freaking out' when she realized the next day that her account was being fleeced by the fraudster. 

King also expressed similar outrage - saying that she was 'in shock' when money started being withdrawn from her account. But she said she was glad that the only thing that they took was her bank details.

She said: 'I was in the car with somebody who wasn't a taxi driver. Anything could have happened. I was thankful that it was only my bank [account] that was compromised.'




Taxi roof signs used in scams have led to losses totaling $1.7million since June 2023, according to the Toronto police department





This generic taxi roof sign costs $21.99 on Amazon. It has a magnetic base with a strip on the bottom and how much is the new york new york ride powered by plugging the cable into the car's cigarette lighter

The signs are cheap to purchase. One Amazon listing for a generic taxi roof sign costs $21.99. It has a magnetic base with a strip on the bottom and is powered by plugging the cable into the car's cigarette lighter. 

The Canadian Taxi Association has asked sites such as Amazon, Temu and eBay to stop selling this product. 

But Amazon said the signs will remain on its site because it's legal to sell in Canada.

With the help of these official-looking signs, the scam has become widespread across the country - including reports filed in five cities in southern Ontario such as Sarnia, the outlet reports. 

In Sarnia, it was reported that two individuals were involved in a two-day run that saw residents with losses that totaled $20,000 to $30,000, on July 13 and 14.

A day later, a man was allegedly approached by two men in a black sedan. The 'passenger' in the vehicle asked the victim if he could use his debit card because he didn't realize the driver didn't accept cash.

After agreeing to do so, the victim later found out he'd been scammed out of $2,400, Sarnia Police Service reported in a media release.

Licensed taxi cabs use roof signs that are purchased from specialty suppliers and are hardwired to the car. 

In the United States, these signs are legal to purchase. But in both Canada and the U.S. it's illegal to drive a taxi without a license. 

In New York City, taxi drivers who drive without a Taxi and Limousine Commission license can be fined between $1000 to $2000 or can be imprisoned for up to 60 days. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Amazon for comment.  


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