7 Tourist Scams in Toronto

You leave a show in the Theatre District and hail a taxi on King Street. The driver is friendly and chatty. When you arrive at your hotel, he hands you a card reader and says the tap function is broken — you'll need to insert your card and enter your PIN. While you fumble with the reader, the driver deftly swaps your debit card for an identical-looking dummy card. He hands you back the dummy, you assume the transaction is done, and you head inside. Over the next 48 hours, accomplices use your real card and PIN to withdraw thousands from ATMs, deposit fraudulent cheques to inflate your balance, and make high-value purchases at electronics stores. Toronto Police launched 'Project Fare' in July 2024 after receiving dozens of reports. The investigation identified over 300 incidents of this exact scam, resulting in 11 arrests and 108 charges. The fraudsters scammed taxi customers out of over $500,000 in just 10 months. CBC News reported that the suspects specifically targeted areas frequented by tourists — particularly people leaving shows in the theatre district or exiting bars in King West. The fraud ring bought fake taxi signs and vehicle decals from Amazon to make their personal cars look like licensed cabs. Victims often didn't realize their card had been swapped until they tried to use it days later. CTV News and CP24 both covered the story extensively, with victims warning other Torontonians to always watch their card during taxi transactions.

You're planning a trip to Toronto from the UK and search 'Canada eTA application' on Google. The top results include several professional-looking websites with Canadian flag branding and government-style layouts. You click one — etravelcanada.org — and fill out the application form with your full name, passport number, and credit card details. The site charges you $107 CAD. You later discover that the official Government of Canada eTA costs just $7 CAD, and you've paid $100 extra to a third-party site that simply submitted the same application you could have done yourself on the official .gc.ca website. This scam has exploded in recent years. VisaHQ reported in October 2025 that a single traveler was charged $107 for an eTA that costs $7 — a 1,429% markup. TripAdvisor's Canada forum has an entire thread warning about etravelcanada.org specifically. On Trustpilot, visaetacanada.org has reviews from travelers charged $89-$120 USD for the $7 application. The scam sites use SEO techniques and paid Google ads to appear above the official government website in search results. Some sites go further — Anomali cybersecurity researchers identified phishing operations that spoof the Canadian eTA site to steal passport data and credit card numbers for identity theft. The Government of Canada has stated it does not issue refunds for fees charged by these third-party websites, leaving victims with no recourse.

You're taking photos at Yonge-Dundas Square — one of Toronto's busiest intersections — when you feel a slight bump from behind. You think nothing of it, but when you reach for your phone five minutes later, your back pocket is empty. Your iPhone Pro Max is gone. A viral video later circulates on social media showing a couple working the square as a pickpocket team, with one distracting pedestrians while the other lifts phones and wallets from pockets and open bags. Toronto Police issued a public warning in December 2025 about an uptick in pickpocketing in the downtown core during the holiday season, specifically targeting shoppers at Eaton Centre and attendees at special events. NOW Toronto published video footage of pickpockets caught on camera operating at Yonge-Dundas Square, with local victims sharing their experiences. A separate police investigation from 2022 tracked two individuals who conducted 'pickpocket-style' thefts at downtown nightclubs for months, stealing phones from jacket pockets hung on chairs. At Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, police shared security camera footage of organized pickpocket teams working the crowds. CTV News reported on a new wave of 'distraction thefts' in 2024, with Toronto Police describing increasingly sophisticated techniques where thieves work in pairs or groups.

You book what looks like a beautiful condo in Toronto's Entertainment District on Airbnb for $150/night — a great deal. The listing has a valid City of Toronto short-term rental registration number, professional photos, and good reviews. You arrive, check in, and everything seems fine. But the listing was created by a scammer who stole a legitimate host's registration number from the City's public database and used it to create a fraudulent listing. Two days into your stay, police knock on the door — the real property owner has reported an unauthorized occupant. CBC News exposed how Airbnb 'pirates' hijack real permits to post fake listings in Toronto. The City of Toronto made all 6,277 short-term rental registration numbers publicly available online along with partial postal codes, creating a goldmine for scammers who can create convincing listings using stolen permit numbers. In a separate scheme, Global News reported on a New Zealand couple who booked a Toronto Airbnb and were booted by police after the listing turned out to be unauthorized. The Daily Dot covered a woman who was scammed by a Toronto Airbnb that gave her the wrong address, affecting multiple victims. Toronto renters lost $2.3 million to rental scams in 2025 according to Cottage Life, with fake listings appearing on Kijiji and Facebook using stolen photos and permit numbers. The most sophisticated version involves scammers renting a real Airbnb for a week, then listing it as a long-term rental on Kijiji, collecting multiple deposits, and vanishing.

You're walking near the CN Tower when two men in plain clothes approach and flash what appears to be a police badge. One says they're investigating counterfeit currency in the area and need to check your wallet. The other positions himself behind you. The first man asks you to hand over your wallet so he can 'verify' your bills. He rifles through it, palms several large bills, and hands it back with a few lower-denomination notes substituted. He thanks you for your cooperation and the pair walk away briskly. You only realize money is missing when you open your wallet at dinner. This scam, documented on TripAdvisor and GoDigit's tourist scam guide for Canada, typically involves two scammers working as a team. One plays the 'officer' while the other acts as either a second officer or a suspect who has already been 'cleared.' The scam targets tourists who look confused or are carrying cameras and maps. Blogto.com's 2024 article 'Toronto scams are getting out of hand' describes how scams targeting tourists have become increasingly brazen. TravelSafe-Abroad notes that while Toronto is generally safe, fake police scams are among the documented risks tourists face. Canadian police will never ask to inspect your wallet on the street, never conduct currency checks on random pedestrians, and always carry proper photo identification — not just a badge.

You're standing at a TTC fare machine at Union Station looking confused by the Presto card system when a helpful stranger approaches. He says the machine is broken and offers to sell you a loaded Presto card for $20 — 'it has $30 on it, so you're getting a deal.' You buy it, tap into the subway, and it works. But the card had only $3.35 on it — exactly one fare. Your next tap is declined. You've paid $20 for a card worth $3.35. The stranger is nowhere to be found. This scam targets tourists unfamiliar with Toronto's Presto card system. GoDigit's tourist scam guide for Canada specifically warns about metro ticket scams in Toronto where scammers approach confused tourists and offer to 'help' them buy tickets, substituting fake or empty cards. On Reddit's r/Toronto, users report encounters with people selling pre-loaded Presto cards at TTC stations that turn out to have minimal or no balance. A variation involves someone offering to 'tap you in' with their card for $2 cash — they tap a card that's already been reported lost (and will be deactivated), pocketing your money while you get stranded at the next transfer point. Legitimate Presto cards are sold at Shoppers Drug Mart locations and TTC fare machines — there is never a reason to buy one from a stranger.

You're in your Toronto hotel room when the phone rings. The caller says they're from the front desk and there's been a 'system error' with your credit card — they need you to confirm the card number and CVV to avoid your reservation being cancelled. It's 11 PM, you're tired from a day of sightseeing, and you read out the numbers. The next morning, there are thousands of dollars in charges on your card from electronics stores and gift card purchases across the GTA. Toronto Police warned of a surge in fraudulent impersonation calls in 2023-2024, with hotel guests among the targeted groups. NOW Toronto reported on the trend, quoting a Reddit user who described a 'disturbingly realistic' call involving the impersonation of a police sergeant using a cloned phone number from a real Toronto police division, complete with a false badge number. The hotel version is simpler but equally effective — scammers call hotel rooms at random, pretending to be the front desk, and ask for credit card details. Some even spoof the hotel's own phone number so it appears on the caller ID as an internal call. No legitimate hotel will ever ask for your full credit card number and CVV over the phone — they already have your card on file from check-in.