What are the red flags of this scam?

A stranger approaches claiming to have a payment problem for food delivery and offers you cash to pay on their behalf using a terminal they provide • You are asked to hand your debit or credit card to anyone, or to enter your PIN on a terminal that is not in a fixed, familiar location (an ATM, a store checkout, a restaurant POS) • The 'delivery driver' or second person is standing unusually close during the card transaction • After the transaction you receive a different card back — it may be similar colour or brand but is not your own • Your bank sends an alert for ATM withdrawals or purchases you did not make shortly after helping a stranger with a payment

What should I do if this happened to me?

Never enter your PIN on a payment terminal handed to you by a stranger — only use terminals in fixed, recognisable merchant locations • If a stranger hands your card back and it feels unfamiliar, check immediately: look at the card number and your name on the front • If you suspect your card was switched, call your bank immediately and ask them to block the card and flag any recent transactions • Report the incident to local police as soon as possible — time matters for ATM camera footage recovery • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH marketplace Last reported: Oct 7, 2026 Share

A stranger asks you to pay for their food delivery — your bank card is swapped and your PIN is captured

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Two suspects work together: one claims to be a customer who cannot pay for food delivery, asks you to pay on a shared terminal, then switches your real bank card for a fake. The second suspect poses as the delivery driver and holds the terminal. Your PIN is captured; your card is then used for cash withdrawals and fraudulent purchases.

Two suspects work together: one claims to be a customer who cannot pay for food delivery, asks you to pay on a shared terminal, then switches your real bank card for a fake. The second suspect poses as the delivery driver and holds the terminal. Your PIN is captured; your card is then used for cash withdrawals and fraudulent purchases.

Also known as: food delivery card swap Canada, fake delivery driver bank card theft, PIN capture food delivery scam Ontario, bank card switch delivery scam Canada, debit card swap payment terminal scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Never enter your PIN on a payment terminal handed to you by a stranger — only use terminals in fixed, recognisable merchant locations
2 If a stranger hands your card back and it feels unfamiliar, check immediately: look at the card number and your name on the front
3 If you suspect your card was switched, call your bank immediately and ask them to block the card and flag any recent transactions
4 Report the incident to local police as soon as possible — time matters for ATM camera footage recovery
5 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ A stranger approaches claiming to have a payment problem for food delivery and offers you cash to pay on their behalf using a terminal they provide
⚠ You are asked to hand your debit or credit card to anyone, or to enter your PIN on a terminal that is not in a fixed, familiar location (an ATM, a store checkout, a restaurant POS)
⚠ The 'delivery driver' or second person is standing unusually close during the card transaction
⚠ After the transaction you receive a different card back — it may be similar colour or brand but is not your own
⚠ Your bank sends an alert for ATM withdrawals or purchases you did not make shortly after helping a stranger with a payment

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources