How to Avoid Cab Scams in Toronto
Toronto-arguably one of Canada’s liveliest, most multicultural cities, attracting millions of visitors, business professionals, and immigrants every single year-relies on taxis for both long hauls and short hops. From arriving at Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) and cruising downtown after a late-night concert or sporting event to navigating across a vast city for an early morning meeting-hailing a taxi or using ridesharing apps could just be your fast track to arrival. However, navigating the unfamiliar urban transit network of a new city may leave you vulnerable to price gouging, inconvenient detours, or even outright fraud if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Thankfully, arming yourself with the information below will go a long way in ensuring a safe, worry-free transit experience in Canada’s most populous metropolis.
What follow is a look at common Toronto cab scams, how to avoid being scammed by them, how to use licensed Toronto taxis, and what steps to take if something goes wrong.
Understanding the Toronto Taxi Landscape
Toronto is an important hub for the taxi industry, well-supported by City of Toronto regulations and standards. Registered Toronto taxis display proper licence plates, taxi licence numbers on vehicle doors, and have fully functioning meters in place to ensure regulated fares. Our services extend 24 hours to Toronto’s six districts, featuring city regulated rates, which begin ticking when you begin your journey.
If a regular, and standard taxis doesn’t quite do it for you, Uber and Lyft are everywhere you’d want to be in the city.
Just like regular, and formal, taxis, apps come with built-in features like a GPS tracker, in digital invoices, and driver ratings for extra accountability, though even app users are susceptible to scammers. The presence of unregistered Touts can really detract from, and inconvenience the travel experience anywhere in the city, particularly if you are at one of the key transport locations or popular city sites.
The Most Common Cab Scams in Toronto
1. The Broken Meter Trick
One of the oldest tricks out there is where the driver informs you his meter is not functioning, and gives you a “flat rate,” that may, or may not, be more than you will be charged at the meter rate. All authorized taxi cabs in Toronto must, by law, carry a functional city-regulated taxi meter. Do not get in the cab with a driver that says his meter is not working, or get out if he states this as you have gotten in.
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2. Unnecessary Detours and Long Routes
Others outright scam unsuspecting, out of-city customers by driving the longest route available to ramp up the meter. Toronto is a city of winding roads; however, the distance from Pearson International Airport into the city, a typical ride of around $50-$60 in standard conditions, should always reflect that price, despite the added road mileage. If the taxi is driving nowhere near the destination, or in the opposite direction of your requested destination, feel free to question the ride.
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3. The Fake Rideshare Driver
When these types of scammers came along after Uber and Lyft showed up and someone would appear at a busy tourist site or in night club zone trying to see who they should impersonate, they’d just find somebody nearby and then walk up to the person asking, “Are you looking for your ride.” Always be sure to check the name, picture, and licence plate of your driver in the car ride app BEFORE getting into the car.
4. The "Surge Pricing" Lie
Real ride sharing services show surge pricing before you commit to accept the ride. Some criminals not on app platforms who want to double your rate will say they are implementing a “surge price,” though the rates cannot be seen within an application and are not transparent. Do not pay surge pricing that cannot be confirmed in a real application.
5. Unauthorized Airport Touts
Pearson Airport has a bunch of illegal taxi drivers offering rides into the city to disembarking passengers inside the terminal. These guys aren’t linked with a legitimate Toronto taxi service, don’t have the necessary license, and if they screw you over there is zero you can do. Be sure to take the official taxi stand at the airport, or your prearranged rideshare pickup.
6. Change Scams and Payment Fraud
Some bad apples may even try sleight of hand as part of the transaction – giving you change from a $50 when you handed them a $20 (or similar tricks). We’ve heard of cab drivers with card machines set up so the amount charged is not reflected as indicated. Double check your change carefully as you leave the taxi. After using a card to pay, monitor your bank or credit card statement regularly.
How to Avoid Cab Scams in Toronto and Use Taxi Services Safely
In the event of a situation where a taxi service needs to be used, it should be from a city-licensed taxi service such as those of Beck Taxi, Co-op Cabs, and Diamond Taxicab. There are several procedures that need to be taken to use the city-licensed taxi service of Toronto which are:
- All trips made to city-licensed taxi services will be through these companies which will book you with verified drivers. Trips are typically made through apps on your phone and are linked with the city’s taxis.
- The taxi will feature an identification with a Toronto taxi license plate with an identification with a letter T and a photo ID of the driver inside of your cab.
- A properly calibrated taxi meter that will start from the standard base fare which is $4.25 as of 2024, and it will also have a per km rate in Toronto.
- Sit in the back of the cab because it will give you access and a view of all of your surroundings and in case of an emergency will give you faster escape from the car.
- Request a receipt with all trip details and payment. The company that you rode with, will provide you a receipt for your expenses and this can be very handy in the case of lost items.
Tips for Staying Safe at Toronto Pearson Airport
- Scammers at airports aren’t a novelty. Toronto Pearson is no different. So, once you’re there, the smart things to do if you don’t want to become their next victim immediately:
- Make use of the official taxi stand: Once you walk out of arrivals, there is a stand clearly labelled with a taxi icon. You may either use that (they are supervised by an official airport employee who will call a taxi from one of the accredited cab companies that service Pearson Airport and connect straight into a taxi dispatch system for official taxis licensed for the Toronto taxi services)
- Do not fall for anyone trying to solicit you inside the terminal: Taxis and rideshares can’t tout for passengers within the terminal
- Find out the taxi fare roughly: Researching how much it will typically cost from the airport to the location is the safest thing. For example, Pearson to downtown Toronto usually costs $55-$65; it varies depending on the city’s traffic. So, if the chauffeur estimates over $100 for an equivalent trip, walk out.
- Opt for UP Express or GO Train: The Union Pearson Express train is another option. It gets you downtown in 25 minutes flat; safe and hassle-free.
Using Rideshare Apps Wisely in Toronto
Though ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft contain important inherent safeguards such as GPS tracking, upfront prices, and trip feedback and digital receipts, there are many circumstances in which a user could get ripped off. Here is how to ensure safety:
- Do check driver/vehicle information: Before you hop in your car, be sure to look the driver up and down to confirm his/her/their name, licence number, vehicle year, make, and model, as listed in the app. Ask for confirmation of your name, don’t tell them yours (e.g. Rather than stating, “I’m Joe,” prompt with, “I’m looking for Joe.”).
- Share with friends or family: Take advantage of the trip sharing option within the app to alert trusted contacts to your current and destination locations as well as estimated arrival times, especially during late nights or when traveling alone.
- The drivers sometimes cancel and reroute in order to have people over charge because people do not know prices.
- Use the in-app tools and reporting features within Uber and Lyft to report fare discrepancies, issues with service, or fraudulent activities immediately. You may be eligible for a refund in these situations.
What to Do If You've Been Scammed
Don’t let it slide if a Toronto taxi or rideshare driver has scammed or ripped you off. Here’s what to do:
- File a formal complaint against the taxi driver: If the driver is operating on a City of Toronto licence, it’s Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS). Visit toronto.ca and search MLS for the “Complaints About Licensed Taxi Drivers” form. You can also call 311.
- File a complaint against the Uber or Lyft driver: Use the help section inside the rideshare app to “report a problem” or “dispute fare”.
- Contact Toronto Police: If it’s theft, harassment, or another criminal offence that occurred at the company you hired, you should contact non-emergency by calling 416-808-2222 or call 911 if there is an emergency.
- Dispute the payment with the credit card company or the bank. If you overpaid and you used a credit card, the company should refund you if a formal complaint with them have been submitted with your credit card company or your bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
It will have a city issued taxi plate number that starts with the letter “T”, have a taxi driver’s license on the interior with the photo and name of the driver visible, and have an operating digital taxi meter.
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Yes, Uber and Lyft are generally safe.
Refuse to use the taxi service.
You will usually be looking at anywhere between $55-$65, including all tolls.