Two men from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) say they won’t be reimbursed by their credit card providers because they don’t have receipts after being scammed by taxis in Mexico.
According to reports by CTV News, Mississauga resident Adam Attard was on vacation with his girlfriend in Mexico in July when an airport shuttle driver locked the couple in the taxi and demanded they pay for the short inter-terminal ride on a credit card.
“We couldn’t get out of the van. There were no visible latches or locks to open the door,” Attard told CTV news.
After presenting his card, Attard was told the charge was declined and that he could pay the menial ride fee of $3 in cash.
But Attard’s card was charged $3,142, CTV says.
Attard immediately called his credit card company’s customer care line and was told he would be reimbursed. However, he was later informed that he would not get his money back because he did not present a receipt for the transaction.
Similarly, when Toronto resident Glenn Egan was in Mexico City back in March he was told he had to pay for a $20 taxi ride on a credit card, but was informed by the driver that the payment declined. He settled up in cash before receiving a notification that his card had been charged $2,300, CTV News reported.
Police told Now Toronto it did not receive reports of these specific scams in Mexico but that it has received ongoing reports of taxi scams in Toronto, and advised victims of fraud to report it to authorities in the country the scam occurs in.
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Like Attard, Eagan was also told by his credit card company that he would not get his money back because he did not obtain a receipt.
“They say with Visa you’re protected against fraud and the fact they won’t step up is infuriating. It’s not 20 bucks, it’s $2,300,” Eagan told CTV News.
Some X users shared identical experiences with credit card companies refusing to reimburse customers who are fraud victims.
“This exact scam happened to me in the Dominican Republic. RBC initially told me the fraud would be covered, and now it has shown up on my credit card after several months. No email, no call, no information from RBC. They say it’s my fault,” one person wrote.
Nonetheless, one user argued it shouldn’t be on card companies to swallow the costs of scams.
“It’s disgusting that these scammers exist. However I don’t think the credit card companies should have to eat these losses. Makes it more expensive for the rest of the customers,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, travel advice for Mexico says visitors should exercise a high degree of caution due to elevated levels of both violent and petty crimes throughout the country.
Credit and debit card as well as ATM fraud occurs frequently in Mexico according to the federal government, which says visitors should cover the keypad when entering their PIN, avoid withdrawing large sums of cash, and to pay attention when others are handling your cards.
TIPS FOR PROTECTING AGAINST CREDIT CARD FRAUD
Toronto Police suggest taking the following precautions to reduce the risk of credit card fraud
- Do not leave your debit or credit card unattended inside a point of sale terminal
- Be aware of taxi numbers and company names when using their services
- Be aware of the driver’s identification
- If there is an error code, or the debit machine is not functioning, always remove your debit card before returning the machine for assistance
- Do not make payments for an unknown person, using your personal card, in exchange for cash
- Inspect your card after each transaction and ensure it is your card
- Cover your fingers when entering your PIN
The federal government’s credit card fraud prevention page advises people to hold onto all documents related to their credit card, vetting for unusual activity by checking monthly statements and alerting The Canadian Anti-fraud Centre in the event of a fraudulent transaction.
Credit card holders can also contact Canada’s two main credit bureaus: Equifax and TransUnion and ask them to place a fraud alert on their credit report.
