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Latest taxi scam in Lisbon

This scam is used on passengers that make payments with cards instead of cash, how the scam works:

The card reader is connected to the driver's phone via Bluetooth, the driver changes the payment amount through his phone, the passenger is not aware of the change. A ride of a few euros can turn into thousands.

Payment with cash is the only way to avoid this scam.

Most frequent with taxis at Lisbon airport, Cais do Sodré train station, Pink street, but it's likely to spread everywhere else.

The news report is in Portuguese

https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/de-15-para-1-360-euros-gang-dos-taxistas-usa-novas-tecnologias-em-burlas-que-deixam-contas-bancarias-limpas/

Other scams involve:

Non working meter, don't use a taxi with a non working meter - it's definitely a scam.

Taxi drivers offering their services inside the airport, don't use them - legitimate drivers are at their taxis at the official taxi stand.

I use taxis frequently in Portugal, this what I do:

Only use taxis from the official taxi stand or phone the legitimate taxi dispatch.

Ask for an estimate before departure, if driver can't provide estimate I don't use them ( estimates have been accurate within 10 euros - I make allowances for heavy traffic, road closures, accidents,etc).

Meter must be working, it isn't I don't ride and choose a different taxi.

Only make cash payments to avoid the card fraud.

I'm also aware that some taxi charges are extra and are legitimate, day / night charge, day of week / weekend, luggage charges, toll booths, etc.

Bolt or Uber avoid some of these issues but they have surge pricing ( legitimate charge) and there some reports of some drivers asking for additional payment at the end of the trip - due to extra traffic, etc.

Older report regarding issues with Bolt, in Portuguese

https://portaldaqueixa.com/brands/bolt/complaints/bolt-burla-bolt-103968123

Posted by
7465 posts

Payment with cash is the only way to avoid this scam.

Well, I'm not so sure about that. I'd say that having some rough idea about how much your taxi should cost (as you suggest, get an estimate before zooming off) and some sense of how much money is worth (one Euro is close enough to one dollar that even brain-dead estimates should get you within one order-of-magnitude). If a cabbie cheerfully presented me with a bill for a short cab ride (or even a long one), for "thousands of Euros" as you claim, I'd just laugh. If he insisted, I'd invite him to call the police so we could all discuss it, as I got out of the cab and waved goodbye. Your other "scams"" are all indeed common.

It's amazing how often a "broken" cab meter miraculously starts working once you tell the driver he either uses the meter, or you're finding another cab. Same thing with the not-working credit card reader (and I disagree about only paying cash).

Taxi issues are nothing new. If there's a new wrinkle about the driver somehow changing the price after the ride is over via his phone....well hopefully you were paying attention and watching the meter as your ride progressed, so any sudden change at the end would be obvious, right?

Eternal vigilance...