Toronto taxi scam involved fake vehicles with signs purchased from Amazon
Toronto police say an investigation into a taxi scam involving a criminal network has led to at least 300 victims losing around half a million dollars after their debit or credit cards were discreetly swapped.
“The scam involved the suspects masquerading as legitimate taxi operators,” Det. David Coffey said at a press conference on Thursday.
Coffey said the 10-month-long fraud investigation, called Project Fare, began in July 2024.
He said suspects would pose as taxi drivers using modified vehicles that resembled licensed cabs.
“It would be cars that were made up to look like taxicabs. They would get signage somehow. We have reports of signs being purchased from Amazon,” Coffey said.
The victims would be denied the ability to use cash and were asked to pay for their fare using debit or credit cards. During the transactions, the fake taxi driver would swap out the victim’s card with a similar-looking fake one, retaining the real card with the PIN number, Coffey said.
He said sometimes the fake taxi driver would hand the victim a point-of-sale (POS) machine that “wouldn’t work.” The driver would then take hold of the machine — and the card — saying “let me try” and that’s when the swap would happen, Coffey said.
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“Maintain control of your card is a big thing,” Coffey said, adding that city bylaws mandate that taxis take cash, which he says is another indication that something isn’t right.
Coffey said the victim’s real debit or credit card would then be used at ATMs to withdraw cash, make high-value purchases or deposit fraudulent cheques to inflate bank accounts.
Investigators seized multiple POS terminals, high-end clothing, electronics, artwork, numerous bank cards and vehicles resembling taxis. Some of those items were on display at the press conference.
Toronto police display items seized in Project Fare.
Catherine McDonald / Global News
Police said by the end of their investigation, there were 300 victims with total losses of more than $500,000. Coffey noted that all five of the major banks had reported the fraud, often on behalf of the victims.
Through Project Fare, police have arrested 11 people who are collectively facing 108 charges. None of the accused were out on bail at the time of their arrest, except for one who was on house arrest.
Coffey said some people were defrauded of tens of thousands of dollars, some a couple of thousand and others less than $1,000. He said it depended on when the victim realized their card had been swapped.
“Certainly, the damages are greater relevant to the amount of time that passes,” Coffey said.
He said these fake taxi drivers would embed themselves in taxi stands or high-traffic areas, such as outside clubs or theatres, where people come out looking for a taxi.
He added that taxi scams are not a new phenomenon but that they are still happening.
“I want to emphasize this is not an indictment of the legitimate taxi industry,” Coffey said. “The individuals involved in this scheme deliberately deceived their victims into believing they were legitimate taxi drivers. Licensed professional taxi operators across Toronto continue to provide an essential transportation service for many residents in our city.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Spirits maker Diageo will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the U.S., the company announced on Thursday.
The facility, which bottles Crown Royal products, will close in February in a move aimed at improving its North American supply chain.
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About 200 jobs will be affected.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh, Diageo’s president of North America supply, said in a statement.
Diageo said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.
The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
McIntosh added the company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Toronto police say a 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly striking two men with his car Wednesday evening.
Officers say they responded to reports of a collision in the area of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard in the city’s North York neighbourhood just before 10:30 p.m.
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Police say two men got into an argument, leading to one man getting into his car and hitting the other man with it.
They say the man then put his car into reverse, striking a second man.
A man in his 50s was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the second man, in his 20s, had minor injuries.
Police say the suspect from Markham, Ont., faces several other charges as well, including two counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
A court document shows a Lindsay, Ont., man facing charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment was carrying a crossbow when he was confronted by a tenant.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, is also facing assault charges in the incident on Aug. 18 — a fact that has generated widespread interest in the case.
Police information filed in court alleges that Michael Kyle Breen damaged a window and screen at McDonald’s home and carried a crossbow.
The court document says the 41-year-old Breen is charged with break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order.
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Police have said that Breen, who is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing next week, was already wanted for unrelated offences.
McDonald, the 44-year-old resident, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he allegedly “did endanger the life” of Breen.
Premier Doug Ford blasted the decision to charge the apartment resident, saying last week that it shows “something is broken.”
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson wrote in a statement Wednesday that he recognizes the incident has generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson wrote that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but the law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced.
“This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances,” he wrote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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