A Whistler woman says a local taxi driver stole her ID and made fraudulent charges on her credit cards, prompting a police investigation that ended without charges being laid.
The complaint comes as Whistler’s taxi industry faces increasing scrutiny. Trust between passengers and drivers has long been considered essential in the resort town, where taxis are often relied on late at night or in poor weather. But with ride-hailing services like Uber entering the market—and past controversies, such as Whistler Taxi reportedly charging up to $200 for trips to Pemberton—concerns about accountability and safety have taken on new urgency.
Emma Moore said the incident happened after she and a friend took a cab home from a concert on June 20. She recognized the driver as someone who had driven her many times before.
“I had a black purse that I had just bought myself after Christmas, and I put it down on the floor,” Moore said. “When I got out of the cab, my housemate paid for it, and I just left my purse in the cab.”
The next morning, Moore realized the purse was missing. She then discovered a string of charges on three of her credit cards—often in $100 increments—totalling about $1,200. Her bank reimbursed her for the fraudulent charges.
Moore said she tracked the purse to the driver’s camper at the entrance to Wedge using an AirTag in her purse, but never recovered it. She eventually entered into lengthy discussions with Whistler Taxi owner Ravindra Dayal.
“At the end of the month … the owner of Whistler Taxi did end up reimbursing me,” Moore said. She asked for $1,280 to cover cash, ID replacement fees, her purse and an AirTag, but received $1,200.
Dayal confirmed he reimbursed Moore out of pocket.
“I’m a local and don’t want to have a bad reputation. I gave $1,200,” he said.
Dayal said his company takes complaints seriously and cooperates fully with police.
“If anyone makes a complaint, we take action right away. I spoke with the RCMP officer, and our dispatcher provided the driver’s phone number. The officer spoke with the driver, and the driver went to the police station,” he said.
He added drivers are independent operators who lease cars under the Whistler Taxi name, but the company has suspended drivers in the past when misconduct was proven.
“We need to listen to both sides, but if we have proof a driver has made a mistake, we take action right away,” he said. “Last year I suspended this driver for one week after he rear-ended someone.”
The company took no action against the driver in this incident.
Although relieved to be compensated, Moore said she is concerned the driver continues to work.
“I’m a bit confused as to why he’s still driving for the company,” she said. “I don’t want him to lose his job, but I don’t think he should be working."
The Sea to Sky RCMP confirmed the complaint but said no charges were laid.
“What I can confirm is that the Sea to Sky Whistler RCMP received a complaint in the late part of June of fraudulent transactions that had occurred on an individual’s credit cards. The report was thoroughly investigated and concluded without criminal charges being laid,” Cpl. Katrina Boehmer, media relations officer for the Sea to Sky Whistler RCMP, said in a statement.
“Whistler RCMP takes all reports received very seriously … Whistler RCMP also encourages anyone who may have been a victim of fraud to visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre,” she added.
As the former owner of a taxi company, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton said public trust in taxi services is critical.
“My experience with taxi drivers is that they are trustworthy people," Crompton said. "And so if the public had concerns, certainly management would have done whatever we had to to understand what was happening, to follow up."
