Fake Pizza Delivery Vehicle Used in Bank Card Scam, Toronto Police Say

A file photo of debit and credit cards displayed in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Police are warning of a debit card scam in Toronto involving a vehicle that appears to be a Domino’s Pizza delivery vehicle.

The scam is perpetrated by two suspects, police say. One is the “delivery driver” and the other pretends to be a customer.

The vehicle parks in retail parking lots and the female “customer” approaches people asking them to help her out because the deliveryman can’t take cash. She asks the victim to pay with his or her debit and she gives the repayment in cash.

With a modified point of sale terminal, the deliveryman is able to record the victim’s pin number. He then swaps the victim’s card with one that looks similar, keeping the original to make purchases and withdrawals.

Police warn people to be wary of this and similar scams, adding that most legitimate delivery drivers take cash. People should also avoid handing over their debit cards, police say, or if they do, they should verify that the card handed back is indeed their own.

Toronto police warned of a similar scam in March involving a taxi. Two perpetrators play the same roles and do the same thing, except the one poses as a tax driver instead of a delivery driver.

Another recent scam on the Toronto police’s radar is the romance scam.

Perpetrators connect with victims through online dating platforms. “Be aware if the conversation quickly turns to money,” Inspector Paul Rinkoff of the financial crimes unit said in a video post.

The perpetrators may tell their victims they have a problem and need financial help—they’re stranded somewhere and need money to get home, or they need help paying for a medical problem.

Rinkoff said victims should report it when they have been scammed at TPS.ca/fraud.