Toronto police have issued an arrest warrant for a 25-year-old man in connection with taxi fraud.

Investigators say the Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit has received more than 60 reports of “sophisticated” taxi frauds since June 2023. In total, the frauds have resulted in losses exceeding $40,000.

The fraud involves a taxi driver and another suspect posing as a passenger. As part of the scam, the victim is usually contacted by a person claiming to work on the taxi and who does not accept cash payment for the fare. The scammer then asks a passerby to pay the fare using their credit card and gives them the cash amount in return. The payment card is then scanned or swapped with a similar card before being returned to the victim. This allows the fraudsters to make fraudulent withdrawals or purchases using the victim’s information.

The police say they have recently identified a suspect in relation to several of these incidents. The suspect, identified as Stephen Chambers residing in Brampton, is wanted on charges of fraud over $5,000, attempted fraud under $5,000, three counts of assault, and two counts of failing to comply with a release order.

The police urge individuals not to pay strangers with cash and to check credit cards after each transaction. Individuals should also be aware of taxi numbers and company names when using their services.