Waterloo Regional Police are investigating several reports of a taxi fraud scam in Waterloo.

On July 7, 2026, police received multiple reports of a taxi fraud in the University District area of Waterloo in which victims had their debit cards stolen and subsequently used fraudulently.

In each incident, a victim was approached by a female passenger inside a vehicle that appeared to be a taxi. The female advised that the driver would not accept cash payment and offered to reimburse the victim in cash if the victim paid the fare using their debit card.

During the transaction, the victim's debit card was swapped and later used to conduct fraudulent transactions.

The investigation is ongoing.

Waterloo Regional Police are encouraging members of the public to consider the following tips to help prevent being a victim of a similar scam:

• 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.
• 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.
• Shield the keypad when entering your PIN.
• Use contactless payment options, such as tap to pay, whenever possible. No PIN is required for contactless payments.

If you have been a victim of a taxi fraud scam and have not yet reported the incident to police, please do so by calling 519-570-9777.

Anyone with information or video footage related to these incidents is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777, extension 4496.