TikToker Warns Toronto About A Taxi Scam She Fell For & Shares A Video Of The Driver

Have you ever paid for a stranger's taxi fare?

Toronto model and actress Saja Kilani is warning residents in Toronto and the GTA about a taxi scam that almost cost her her debit card.

On October 16 at around 4:30 p.m., Kilani says she was walking along Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue when a teenage boy stopped her and asked if she could cover his taxi fare since they only took card and he just had cash.

In a TikTok detailing her experience, Kilani says the boy offered to pay her back and showed her that he had money on him.

How it happened

"I thought, you know what, if I was in that situation, I'd want someone to help me," says Kilani.

Kilani says she asked the driver if he had just driven the boy, to which he responded yes but that he only took card. So she agreed to pay for him.

The driver asked if she had a debit card before setting up the transaction on his machine, according to her TikTok.

But as soon as the transaction was in motion, things started to go south.

"The kid was really trying to get my attention. He kept saying something about 'If you want to give him a tip, I can give you extra money,' but he was fidgeting a little bit," she says.

Despite the distraction, Kilani says she managed to catch the driver putting her card down while he fixed the machine out of the corner of her eye.

Kilani says he put her card in the machine and gave it back to her.

After she paid, she claims she handed the machine back to the driver with her card, but when the driver returned it, she noticed the card didn't have her name on it.

The moment she clued in

"He gave me my card, but I noticed that it doesn't say my name on it. It says someone else's."

The red flags tipped Kilani off, and she says she "immediately" knew it was a scam.

Kilani says she opened the taxi door and told the driver that she could see her actual card in between his legs.

"This is not my card. You have my card in between your legs, I can see it. Give it to me."

She says the driver started to laugh and said, "Oh, you saw that?" as the boy got into the car.

"I was about to get angry, and he realized, so he was like, 'Ok, ok, this is kind of a prank,' and he gives my card back."

After lecturing the driver about stealing, Kilani says she pulled out her phone to film him.

"As soon as I started pulling out my phone, he put his mask on and his son or whoever it is also put his mask on."

In her TikTok, which has gotten over 1M views, Kilani attached a video of the driver and his license plate.

Kilani told Narcity that, luckily, her card didn't get charged, and she has since replaced it.

The 24-year-old says she filed a police report but that she created the TikTok in hopes that others would avoid the car.

Toronto Police Service (TPS) told Narcity the scam has been reported and urged anyone who believes they are a victim of a taxi scam to come forward.

When it comes to avoiding these scams and ones like them, TPS said the public needs to remain vigilant.

TPS said residents should not leave their debit or credit card unattended in a terminal at any time and to not pay for strangers using their personal card in exchange for cash.

Police also recommend the public be aware of what taxi company they are using and double-check their card is theirs after every transaction.

*Narcity blurred out the driver's licence plate because police have not yet confirmed if they will launch an investigation into the incident.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.