18-07-2025
4 Ontario men wanted in Alberta on allegations of taxi fraud
Arrest warrants have been issued in Alberta for four Ontario men accused of 18 incidents of taxi fraud that allegedly defrauded 16 victims of more than $28,000.
Calgary police said they received 19 complaints between July 9 and July 14, 2024, about the alleged offences that appeared to have been committed by an organized group of individuals.
The group is accused of using two methods to defraud the victims.
In the first, one of the suspects would approach strangers asking for help paying a taxi fare with a debit or credit card, because the driver wouldn't accept cash.
The victim would use their card to pay and the suspect would pay them back with cash.
In the second method, a suspect driver, who did not have a taxi licence, would accept fares as a normal cab driver would, but they would use a skimming device to steal the victim's personal identification number (PIN).
Story continues below advertisement
In some cases, the driver would also swap the unsuspecting victim's debit card with another stolen card.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Once the transactions were complete, the scammers would use the victim's card to withdraw money from an automatic teller machine (ATM) or to purchase prepaid VISA or gift cards.
Alberta-wide arrest warrants have been issued for four men and released pictures of them to the public (see below).
They are, from left to right:
24-year-old Ibrahim Kald, wanted on five counts of credit card theft and three counts of fraud under $5,000;
24-year-old Arvinder Singh, wanted on 17 counts of credit card theft and seven counts of fraud under $5,000;
19-year-old Martin Hudec Siron, wanted on 15 counts of credit card theft and six counts of fraud under $5,000;
24-year-old Matthew Tani, wanted on four counts of theft of a credit card and seven counts of fraud under $5,000.
View image in full screen
The four men suspected of being involved in the taxi fraud cases are accused of stealing more than $28,000 from 16 victims, between July 9 and July 14, 2024. Calgary Police
Police believe the suspects have since left Alberta and returned to Ontario, where they are believed to live.
Story continues below advertisement
Calgary police are also offering some tips to help people avoid falling victim to this type of fraud.
Never hand over your credit card, keep it in your possession;
Use secure mobile payment options that offer extra encryption and protection, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay;
Always confirm the payment method before the ride begins;
Never let your payment card out of your view, keep it in your possession;
Don't pay using cash when using ride booking apps; and
Be skeptical and if you have a suspicious interaction, contact police and your bank.
Calgary police said investigators have also uncovered similar instances of fraud in Edmonton, Toronto and Metro Vancouver.
