Home / Crime and Justice / Paris Taxi Scam: €2,990 Charged Instead of €29.90
Paris Taxi Scam: €2,990 Charged Instead of €29.90
28 Feb
Summary
- A tourist was charged €2,990 instead of €29.90 for a Paris taxi ride.
- The bank initially refused a chargeback due to chip and pin use.
- The passenger was unaware the amount was changed by the driver.
- The bank has now issued a temporary refund for the fraudulent charge.
A London resident and her twin sister experienced a distressing taxi ride in Paris, where they were defrauded by a driver who charged them €2,990 instead of the expected €29.90 for a short journey. The incident occurred when the driver allegedly altered the amount on the payment terminal after the initial transaction failed, a detail the passenger did not notice at the time.
When attempting to dispute the charge with her bank, Halifax, the customer was initially denied a chargeback because chip and pin had been used. The bank classified the case as authorised fraud, where a fraudster deceives a victim into making a payment. This type of scam has been previously reported, targeting tourists in Paris.
Halifax has since initiated a chargeback as an authorised fraud case, providing a temporary refund to the customer. The taxi operator has a 45-day period to dispute this chargeback, during which the customer can provide a counter-claim. The incident left the traveler feeling traumatised and apprehensive about future holiday payments.
