Airport Taxi Scams You Need To Know About

There’s nothing worse than being hit with an unexpectedly high fare after a holiday. Here’s how to avoid the sting of a scam.

We’re pretty savvy when it comes to international travel, looking up local scams and keeping a sharp eye open. But what about in our own country? Rideshare and airport taxi scams at main terminals around Australia are not uncommon. Here’s what to look out for.

Book through the actual taxi service

I once booked a taxi through a website which was essentially Webjet for taxis. Except, of course, the price wasn’t shown. I’m usually a carshare fan, but there weren’t many around my area at the time and I needed to book in for an early morning flight.

My taxi arrived on time, and it was a legitimate and common brand you see around Sydney. So where was the scam? What was usually an approximately $20 fare had been inflated to $60. Luckily, my driver was a lovely and honest man who asked me if the fare was ok when I got in the taxi. When I was shocked, he wanted me not to book through a third party, as they charge an outrageously high price for the privilege that doesn’t put any extra dimes in the taxi driver’s pockets.

lights on top of two taxis against city lights — Book through official channels, not a third party. (Image: Lexi Anderson)

Keep an eye on the meter

If you’ve ever been shocked by the number on the meter at the end of a trip, there’s a possibility you were hit with the ‘jump up’ fare scam. This one is even trickier because most of us would never argue with the official taxi meter. The thing is, while some add-ons should be expected (like airport surcharge and sometimes tolls), if the change in fare is sudden, high and unexplained it could be a scam.

For example, one passenger recounts a $20 jump-up in the fare from one suburb to the next in Sydney. When the driver was asked to explain what the extra fees were, they admitted to ‘driving for a friend’ (ie, driving illegally) and offered a discount on the official fare. All of these reactions are red flags, don’t be fooled.

taxi crossing a bridge — Look out for unexplainable jumps in the fare. (Image: Zac Ong)

Beware of false fees

Fairly, if you make your carshare driver wait for you at the pickup location, they’re able to charge an extra fee. According to Uber’s guidelines, that wait has to be at least two minutes to apply. What some riders have noticed, however (particularly in Melbourne), is that a wait fee was added even though they were standing at the agreed pickup spot before they even booked a driver. The best part about rideshares is that when you do come across false fare charges like this, you’re usually able to get that extra money refunded when you complain via the app.

Other fees that can be added when necessary also include surge fees, toll fees and length of ride fees. While these can be added, there are stipulations. For example, surge fees should be shown before you book the Uber. Prices might change slightly, but should only be minimal (I personally have found DiDi to be much better at honest upfront pricing, though). Read the guidelines for the rideshare you’re using and be aware of any extra fees.

Another example is the time my driver missed the turn-off twice, despite my directions (and his satnav) and then charged me for the extra time it took him to loop back around and correct his mistake.

passenger view of an uber driver — Check your fee breakdown and dispute unfair additions. (Image: Paul Hanaoka)

Look out for fake cancellation scams

Sorry Melbourne, but this is another one mostly reported in the Victorian capital (although it’s also definitely happened to me in Sydney). After you’ve booked your fare, a scammer will accept your ride, make you wait for them, but then veer off-route at the last minute. Why? So they can claim they’re waiting for you, even though you’re at the agreed pickup location and there are no drivers in sight. Even after a chat in the app, they’ll drive around a little more ‘looking’ for you, just to do the same thing. After all this waiting for you, they’ve made it look like need to cancel the fare, which gets them an instant $10 cancellation fee, and you can’t contact them any more to dispute it. If that happens to you, immediately report the scam to Uber to get your $10 back.

someone booking a ride through the uber app — Look out for cancellation scams. (Image: Charles Deluvio)

Never pay upfront

This taxi scam may be one you know to look out for overseas, but it’s commonly reported in Australia as well. You should never be asked to pay in cash upfront, that means it’s a scam and they may be overcharging you, or just avoiding paying their own fees.

Don’t be tricked by a ‘broken’ EFTPOS machine

Along a similar vein, some passengers have reported arriving at their destination, only to be told the EFTPOS machine isn’t working and being handed an alternative machine to swipe their card through. Next minute, a $10 fare has been charged as a $90 one. Always make sure you’re offered a regular and official payment method.

glimpse of a taxi crossing a bridge — There should be no surprises in the fare. (Image: Guillaume Fandre)

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.

Airport taxi and rideshare scams you need to know about