The Most Common Scams to Watch Out for When Using a Taxi Service in the UK

Protect yourself from the different taxi scams with awareness tips and guidance from UK app-based taxi company, SWOOP

Taxi scams come in various guises, from overcharging on fares, pretending to be licensed vehicles, and putting the safety of unsuspecting passengers at risk. While many travellers assume they will identify a taxi scam before it happens, the reality is that criminals and fraudsters can be very convincing – and catch out even the most experienced of passengers.

In most cases, taxi scams are carefully targeted at visitors and people unfamiliar with the area. They may not necessarily know the names of local cab firms or have a number to call if they need a lift as quickly as possible.

SWOOP, the UK app-based Swindon taxi company, shares some insights into the most prevalent scams and explains what to make note of to ensure you steer clear.

1. Card Cloning Taxi Scams

Cashless payments are now fairly standard in modern taxi services, where many people don't tend to carry around cash, and drivers often prefer card payments to limit the amount of money they need to carry during each working shift.

An increasingly common scam relies on goodwill and knowing that almost everybody will have a payment card with them.

In this scam, the driver and passenger work together and pretend to have a tense exchange where the passenger only has cash to pay, but the driver will only accept a card payment. They may target a person waiting in a taxi rank or hailing a cab who is keen to proceed with their onward journey.

The passenger gives the target cash in exchange for their fare (or even a little more to make it convincing) – all while the driver is cloning their card and recording their PIN as they enter it onto a device.

2. Taxi Payment Scams

There are numerous ways scammers can trick unwitting customers out of their money, either by inflating the cost of the journey, implying that the customer has misunderstood the agreed charge, or taking them to the wrong destination and stating that the passenger provided the incorrect information.

Here are a few of the circumstances that victims of taxi scams have reported:

• A driver says they can't accept cards or their machine isn't working. However, they have no change and will only allow the passenger to leave the vehicle once they have paid. Another scam involves paying customers change in counterfeit notes.
• The meter within a taxi has been adjusted and either increases the payable rate far more quickly than it should, or suddenly jumps up by several pounds at a time, or when the vehicle comes to a stop. This scam sometimes involves the meter multiplying the rate and the passenger complaining that the meter is clearly broken – the driver will then offer to accept half of the displayed price, which is still exorbitantly expensive.
• While a price is agreed at the start of the journey, when the vehicle arrives at the destination the driver says that they gave a cost per person – effectively doubling or tripling the payable rate. In some cases, they will threaten to call the police to try and frighten the passenger into paying.

A less common scam, as travellers become more aware of the potential for scams, is to swap out the notes received in cash. For instance, the passenger has a charge of £5 and gives the driver a £20 note – only to receive £5 in change and an adamant insistence they only handed the driver a £10 note.

3. Fake Taxi Scams

Fake taxis are one of the most serious scams around. The driver may intend to charge very high rates, take the passenger to the wrong place, or something more sinister.

Travellers who have mistakenly gotten into a fake taxi may find their belongings stolen, including jewellery, bags, wallets and luggage, and be left in an unsafe position.

These scams are most often targeted towards individual passengers travelling alone, who are less likely to resist or try to vacate the vehicle as soon as they realise something isn’t right.

How to Avoid Taxi Scams

The positive is that taxi scams are few and far between and generally easy to avoid by using a reputable taxi company. Although needing to join a taxi queue outside an airport or train station may be unavoidable, or you might have to flag down a cab if you are caught in a downpour, pre-booking your travel or requesting a vehicle on-demand is far safer, especially if you are in an unfamiliar city or area.

Our advice would be to follow a few golden rules:

• Always agree to the fare upfront or use a taxi service that displays the cost of the journey at the point of booking. A credible, licensed taxi driver will never hesitate to state the fare before they set off.
• Check that the driver has their licence credentials displayed in the vehicle – this is a requirement, and most cabbies show their licence in the front of the cab, clearly shown on the dashboard. If no credentials are on display, do not get into the taxi.
• Verify the length of the journey and expected travel time in advance or cross-check the information you are given through a travel app – this will mean you know how long the trip should take and won't have to assume the driver is taking the fastest route.
• Pay by card if you prefer, or state the cash given to the driver. If you pay by cash, check your change before exiting the vehicle, and note the registration and taxi driver's licence number if you believe they have deliberately short-changed you.
• Only ever get into a vehicle that is branded and badged as a taxi, with a licence plate that matches the details given to you at the time of booking. A decal on the side of a car is not a 100% guarantee that it is an authentic cab, so checking the car's registration, make, model, and colour is highly advisable.

We recommend downloading the SWOOP taxi app in advance if you are concerned about taxi scams or wish to have the assurance that every driver who arrives has been thoroughly screened and vetted and will take you to your destination on time – for a competitive price, and without any scams.

Read more about SWOOP Taxis - The Benefits of Using a Local Taxi Service vs National Supplier

About SWOOP Taxis

SWOOP is a fast, friendly, and stress-free taxi service operating across Bath, Swindon and Chippenham. Order your cab via the app and have the full control of paying the driver direct. All drivers accept credit, debit cards and cash paid direct to them at the end of your journey.

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Source Company: https://swoop.co.uk/