NEW YORK – The Taxi and Limousine Commission is keeping an eye out for at least three vehicles roaming the streets of New York City that look like taxis but are actually fake cabs.
“There is a handful of them. But there are more fake black cars and fake livery cars,” said TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi.
While the number of fake yellow cabs may be small there is need for concern.
The drivers of those phony cabs have not been vetted by the TLC; the vehicles do not have the proper insurance and have not been inspected by the TLC.
Here’s how to spot a fake NYC cab:
1. The medallion should be a Number, Letter, Number, Number; any other combination of letters or numbers means the cab is not legitimate.
2. There is no active credit card reader in the back.
3. The medallion is missing on the hood of the taxi cab.
4. The medallion and the license plate number do not match. The license plate number and the medallion are the same number.
And, lastly, it’s important to remember one more thing:
“Never,ever hand your credit card to the driver,” said Joshi.
