A Newfoundland man is one of 11 people arrested and charged in connection with a ‘taxi scam’ in Ontario.

The Toronto Police Service alleges the accused are members of a criminal network where individuals posed as taxi drivers, using vehicles modified to resemble licensed cabs.

Police say victims were picked up and asked to pay with debit or credit. During the transaction, their cards were allegedly swapped with similar-looking ones.

The accused are then said to have used the real cards to withdraw cash, deposit fraudulent cheques to inflate account balances, and purchase high-value items.

The investigation began last July following multiple reports. Police have now identified over 300 incidents, with total losses to victims exceeding $500,000.

Twenty-four-year-old Michael Denine, from this province, is among those charged. He faces charges of possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000, and unlawfully dealing with a device that could be used for forgery