York Regional Police have apprehended two individuals who are now facing multiple charges following an elaborate taxi scam that unfolded in Vaughan.
The sequence of events commenced at approximately 8:44 p.m. on September 26, as law enforcement responded to a call at a commercial complex near Colossus Drive and Famous Avenue regarding a dubious vehicle.
A concerned individual informed the authorities that he was approached by a person he suspected to be a minor. This individual directed him to interact with a taxi driver operating a black Honda Civic, alleging that the driver was refusing payment. The individual was then urged to use his credit card to settle the fare via a machine.
Sensing something amiss, the man opted out and departed, feeling wary of the situation. Subsequently, he furnished the police with the license plate of the vehicle, which was confirmed to be stolen.
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement identified the vehicle at a different commercial establishment close to Applewood Crescent and Portage Parkway. Tracking it to a plaza in the Islington Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard vicinity in Etobicoke, officers observed the same driver and passenger engaging in a similar fraudulent act.
Promptly, the authorities intervened and apprehended both suspects.
Investigators assert that the driver’s modus operandi involved replacing a victim’s payment card with a stolen card from another target. Subsequently, the perpetrators utilized these stolen cards to withdraw funds from banks before the victims could detect the deceit.
Weheliye Rage, 34, and Osaze Ebagua, 19, both hailing from Brampton, have been implicated in the scheme and are now confronting charges, which include seven counts each of possession of stolen property not exceeding $5,000, obtain by false pretence not exceeding $5,000, and disguise with intent.
York Regional Police suspect that there might be additional victims who have yet to step forward.