An Ontario woman was also charged $7,000 for taking a taxi ride in Chile

 

An Ontario woman reportedly lost nearly $7,000 after she unknowingly took a taxi from an illegal taxi company on a trip to Antarctica. Pat Shacklady, from Midland, had the misfortune. Shaklady told the media that they were scammed at the first stop on the trip, Santiago, Chile.

Shacklady said she had pre-booked a taxi to pick her and her friend up from the Santiago airport in January. When the taxi arrived they were misled that their driver had an accident and redirected to another company. They had to pay for the trip by credit card. They said they received a receipt for $45,000 in Chilean pesos (about $62) and continued on their way. After returning home from the trip, ShackLady's credit card statement showed a charge of $6,943.

After losing the money, Shacklady contacted the Bank of Montreal (BMO). But they said the claim was initially rejected and later informed that the money could not be refunded.

The Canadian government issued a travel advisory about taxi scams for travelers to Chile after ShakLady's experience was reported. Be warned that taxis near airports are prone to fraud and check the amount on the card reader before using taxis and paying. Passengers were also advised to avoid unmetered taxis.