Shuttle ride in Mexico sets Ontario man back more than $3K. Here’s what happened

Two men across the Greater Toronto Area are speaking out after they said they lost thousands of dollars on vacation in Mexico.

“They said it’s my word versus their word. So it’s my word versus a scammer’s word,” Adam Attard, of Mississauga, told CTV News Toronto. Attard was vacationing with his girlfriend near Cancun, Mexico, in early July.

Attard recalled an individual telling him he was at the wrong terminal when they arrived at the airport for their flight home, so they took a short ride in a shuttle to reach the correct one.

Before he left the shuttle, Attard said the driver locked the doors and demanded payment by credit card.

“We couldn’t get out of the van. There were no visible latches or locks to open the door. The [shuttle] driver said, ‘You are not leaving until you pay the $3,'” said Attard.

When Attard was told the payment didn’t go through, the driver then said he accepted cash. However, Attard said his credit card was immediately charged $3,142.

Attard said he contacted the Royal Bank of Canada’s Visa customer care line and was initially told he would be refunded the money, but later, he was told he wouldn’t be.

“After I was told I would be covered, I was told because I punched in my PIN and did not get a receipt, they would not refund me anything,” said Attard.

Glenn Egan of Toronto also travelled to Mexico in March of this year. He was visiting Mexico City with his family when they decided to take a taxi back from a museum to his hotel.

Egan said the taxi ride should have cost about $15, but he was charged $2,300 on his credit card.

According to Egan, the driver also demanded he pay with a credit card and then claimed the charges didn’t go through, so he accepted cash. A minute later, Egan’s bank notified him he had been scammed.

“I stepped out of the taxi and immediately got a text from RBC saying $2,300 had been charged to my Visa,” said Egan.

Egan said he’d contacted Visa right away to dispute the charge, but after four months of trying, he was told he would not be given a refund.

“At the end, they said I didn’t get a receipt and without one, I can’t dispute the charges,” said Egan. “They say with Visa you’re protected against fraud and the fact they won’t step up is infuriating. It’s not 20 bucks, it’s $2,300.”

An RBC spokesperson told CTV News Toronto that it reviews each report of potential fraud on a case-by-case basis and urges its customers to take precautions when receiving or transferring funds.

“While we cannot comment on the specifics of this situation, we can advise that we take this matter seriously and are working with our client directly throughout the process to keep them informed,” the spokesperson said.

“Scams are increasingly sophisticated, and we work closely with industry associations, government and law enforcement to prevent, detect and investigate fraud, including when it happens in other jurisdictions.”

Not long after Egan reached out to CTV News, he was told he would receive a full refund of his $2,300. Attard was also refunded his $3,142.

To avoid being caught in a fake taxi scam, make sure you’re in a licenced cab or shuttle and book through a trusted source, like a hotel or tour company. You should also ask in advance if you can pay in cash and how much the charge will be.