Taxi and pizza delivery scam reported in Niagara

Niagara police are warning residents to be wary of a taxi and pizza delivery scam.

Today, the police service said it has received reports of a scam in the St. Catharines area involving a person pretending to be a customer who exits a vehicle with a taxi or Domino’s roof sign and then approaches a potential victim, claiming the driver only accepts card payments and not cash.

Police say the suspect will offer the victim cash in exchange for using their debit card. Once the victim agrees, the scammer discreetly swaps the victim’s card with an invalid one and uses the real card to withdraw cash.

Police are advising residents never to give their credit or debit cards to anyone they don’t know, even if they offer cash in return, and never to enter their PIN number for someone else, regardless of the situation. Residents are also advised to be cautious of strangers who ask for help making a payment, even if the situation seems urgent.

Police are also advising people to carefully check their bank statements, trust their instincts and report any suspicious activity to local authorities.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact detectives at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1008914.