from Canada


WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from Philippines


ELEVEN CHARGED IN TORONTO TAXI SCAM WHICH NETTED OVER $500,000


TAXI DRIVERS FORCED TO GIVE 40% EARNINGS TO AIRPORT POLICE


Cabbies at Manila Inter- national Airport charge high fares because they must give 40% of earnings to


the airport police,


A sophisticated taxi scam that allegedly defrauded unsuspecting customers of more than $500,000 has led to the arrest and charging of eleven individuals in Toronto. Police announced that the group, accused of being a criminal network,


faces a staggering 108


charges following a 10-month investigation dubbed “Project Fare.” The elaborate scheme involved suspects posing as legitimate taxi drivers, operating vehicles modified to resemble licensed cabs. Det. David Coffey of the Toronto Police Service explained the modus operandi: “Unsuspecting victims were picked up and asked to pay for the ride using a credit or debit card. During the transaction, the suspects discreetly swapped the victim’s card with a card that looked like theirs. The real card and their PIN was then passed on to accomplices.” These stolen cards and PINs were then used to drain bank accounts, deposit fraudulent cheques, and make high-value purchases including electronics, gift cards, and luxury clothing. Police displayed some of the seized items, including high-end fashion and artwork, at a news conference. The investigation, which began last July after a surge in victim reports, quickly escalated from 61 initial incidents to over 300 confirmed frauds. On May 21, the police financial crimes unit, supported by various divisions, executed three search warrants, leading to arrests and the seizure of point-of-sale terminals, bank cards, and vehicles resembling taxis. The suspects, ranging in age from 19 to 50, include ten men and one woman from the Greater Toronto Area. Charges laid include fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000. Police are actively searching for two additional male suspects and a female person of interest in connection with the scam.


PHTM JULY 2025


according to a taxi driver. In a recent report by journalist, it was said the cabbie stated if they don’t make a payoff, the Airport Police Department (APD) will give them a ticket, which they must redeem in the Land Transportation Office (LTO). Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the five names provided by the taxi driver have been verified as actual officers of the APD and they have been immediately suspended. Dizon stated: “There are also other drivers who are willing to talk, and say who is extorting money from them… The investigation is ongoing.” According to the driver, who went viral on social media for charging a passenger P1,200 for a 20-minute ride from NAIA Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, officials of the APD demand a 60-40 arrangement where they receive 40% of drivers’ earnings. Non-compliance causes taxi drivers to be held back from lining up at airport taxi bays and be subject to harassment, tickets and fines. After the driver met with Secretary Dizon to discuss the arrangement between taxi drivers and airport police, Dizon had stated: “This is a heavy problem… We are thankful [for driver] because he took the risk of coming forward to tell us about the practice of taxis in the airport. “These schemes will not happen if there was no accomplice inside, and this is the perfect example. This must have been going on for decades. It has happened over and over again.” On behalf of the DOTr, Dizon assured security and safety for the taxi driver and said that he will be talking to the LTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on the issue. The LTO has since suspended the cabbie’s licence pending further investigation after authorities also discovered that his operator, TaxiHub, was operating on an expired franchise.


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