Beware! Melbourne Cab Scam!

spouse and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Australia. Unfortunately we just learned we have been victimized by taxi driver and/or company in Melbourne.

We took a cab ride that cost approx. $10 to the airport from the Comfort Inn and Suites Essendon and used our credit card to pay. The cabbie indicated that his EFTPOS machine was not working and used an old style swipe carbon copy machine to take our information. We received our statement this week and were charged $90.09 for this ride! Also, we have received another charge for a limo service in Australia for a date 2 weeks after we returned to Canada. We have been told that this is not the first time this has happened to cab customers in Melbourne. There has been a number of instances where a 'limo' charge has been applied to a credit card after taking a taxi in Melbourne.

The first charge, for the $90.09 came up on our statement as Black/Yellow Taxis Nth Melbourne AU. Does anyone know which company this is? I have contacted the Yellow Cabs and they say that their charges only come up as Black Cab.

The second charge, for the ride we never took. Comes up as Cab Account Aust Brunswick AU. When we called our credit card company they indicated that this was a limousine company.

We are disputing the charges with our credit card company and have filed a complaint with the Victoria Taxi Directorate.

First of all I want to warn all travelers to Melbourne about this scam (well all people that use taxis for that matter). If you have used your credit card to pay for a cab in Melbourne you should definitely keep an eye on your statements for weird charges or overcharges.

Also, I would like to know if anyone has had a similar situation or if anyone has any more information on this scam. Or if anyone knows which cab company's charges are listed as Black/Yellow Taxis Nth Melbourne.

Thank you and beware!!!
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I thought it was diligent to post in more than one forum so all users could see the post.

We have already cancelled our credit card and are disputing the charges through our mastercard company. Reply to this

I have had a similar thing done in Brisbane, Came up with that taxi company but somewhere in sydney.
I would say the driver has used your numbers to input into the Eftpos machine for 90.09 (your statement should show the time the transaction was carried out) after taking them off the swiped copy, then when he takes his girlfriend out next weekend he gets her a ride in a LImo and hands the driver the swiped copy to fill in.....

Just a guess, but I didnt didnt bother questioning my bill until I read your post, I went back and had a look at my statement and I have been , charged twice for one taxi. BAstardo's, it was months ago so I probably have no claim.. Reply to this

Did the hotel you were staying at recommend that taxi company?
If so, I hope they will stop recommending them after this.

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Hi,

I recently checked my Credit card statement and found a charge from a company called Cab Account Aust Brunswick as well. As I had not been in Melbourne when this charge came through, I checked all my receipts from a trip to Melbourne in April. As this was a work trip, I had to account for all Taxi rides and found that I had no receipt for the amount charged to me. The charge was made on the 20.06.08 as I live in Sydney I questioned the charge and called my bank who are now investigating the charge.

I also decided to check the company name online to see if I could find any contact details for them to call and enquire and perhaps sort it out on my own, but when I searched no contact details came up but I did come across this blog link. After reading this entry I remember a cab ride to the airport when I also was told that the electronic swiper machine wasn't woking and thus he used an old fashion swiper machine. So almost identical stories.

I have reported this to the fraud department at my bank and hopefully this won't happen to others. I have also forwarded on this blog to them so they can see that it has happened to others. Reply to this

Hi,
I have similar experience to Kristy to share. I took a taxi in Melbourne last month(20/6) and the charge was AUD76.20. However, to my horror when I receive the credit card statement recently, the amount was AUD185.57!! The bill is from the same taxi company as Kristy's, i.e. Black and Yellow Taxis Nth Melbourne. The cabbie also used the old fashion swiper machine.
Further, I was billed two additional charges on the day that I was not in Melbourne, 26/6 and 7/7. On 26/6, it was billed by the same company while the charge on 7/7 came from the Cab Account Aust, Brunswick. Even though I took a taxi ride on 26/6 in Brisbane and paid by credit card, the correct amount has been billed in the same credit card statement. On 7/7, I was in the office and did not use any taxi service at all. I am disputing the charges with my bank and has requested that they cancel my card to ensure that no further charges come through from the two companies. I have also lodged a report on the scam to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

I am sharing this experience to reinforce the fact that this scam is rather widespread and everyone must be careful when using credit cards to pay for taxi rides; especially in Melbourne! Reply to this

Hi,
An update on my case: After more than 4 months of disputing with the taxi company, the bank was convinced that I was scammed by them. I disputed 3 items and the bank was convinced that I was overcharged as the receipt submitted by them was tempered with. I only took a trip from city to Dandenong but the driver add the word 'to City' at the end of Dandenong to make it look like I took a round trip. As I was able to submit my own receipt, I could prove that I only took a one way trip. On the other 2 charges, the taxi company tried to submit a receipt already billed in my previous month's credit card stmt while they couldn't submit any receipt at all for Cab Account Aust Brunswick charge. So lesson here is, it is very important to keep a copy of the taxi receipts so that you can prove your case. Reply to this

I have a bad tendency to throw receipts out and have already had issues with that recently.

Keeping them is certainly a good habit to get into. I have had a few situations where I would have had problems if I had thrown out the paper evidence.

I throw all mine into drawers and boxes. I sometimes fantasise about becomming one of those people who keep all that stuff in neat and tidy folders where they can find what they want in minutes. When I need to find something it can take a couple of frustrating hours, but still not frustrating enough to teach me to be more orderly. Reply to this

My parents used to thread theirs on to wire clothes hangers that they had opened out. Whenever they needed some piece of paper they sat in the kitchen surrounded by around 20 of those. And they also had jam jars to keep the money to pay the various bills in, with the name of who it was to be payed to cellotaped to each. I should try to at least practice what they thought me about keeping it all in order. :D Reply to this

kristy31, thank you very much for your very informative report of the scam taxi in Melbourne.

I'm experiencing just the same scam *NOW*.

For only one time taxi ride in 22 April 2009, they charge two times: Black/Yellow Taxis Nth Melbourne AU in May, and Cab Account Aust Brunswick AU on June.

To stop the payment for them, I'm going to consult with may credit cart desk and show them only one receipt of my TAXI ride.

The first charge, for the $90.09 came up on our statement as Black/Yellow Taxis Nth Melbourne AU. Does anyone know which company this is? I have contacted the Yellow Cabs and they say that their charges only come up as Black Cab.

The second charge, for the ride we never took. Comes up as Cab Account Aust Brunswick AU. When we called our credit card company they indicated that this was a limousine company.

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