Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a taxi scam in Waterloo.

On October 23, 2026, at approximately 2:05 a.m., the victim was walking on State Street near Hickory Street West when they observed a dark-coloured vehicle parked on the roadway. The female suspect approached the victim and stated that she was unable to pay for her taxi fare because the driver did not accept tap payment. The suspect advised that she required assistance completing the transaction and requested the victim’s help.

The victim approached the vehicle and requested the debit terminal. The male driver advised that he was unable to provide the terminal directly because the tap feature was not functioning. The victim then provided the male with their debit card to complete the transaction. The male suspect processed the payment and requested that the victim enter their PIN. During the transaction, the suspect exchanged the victim’s debit card with a similar looking card and returned the substituted card to the victim.

The victim later discovered that their card had been replaced and that their debit card had been used to conduct unauthorized cash withdrawals from their bank account. 

The investigation is ongoing by members of WRPS’ General Investigations Unit. 

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.
• 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.
• Ensure your bank card is returned to you before leaving the transaction. 
• Use contactless payment options, such as tap to pay, whenever possible. No PIN is required for contactless payments.
• Legitimate taxi services will accept cash payment.

Anyone with information or video footage related to this incident is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777, extension 4496.