The same scam over and over again
The same scam over and over again. It is a fake website; there is no actual transfer service. They take your money and later tell you that the driver cancelled at the last minute. After that, they tell you to file a refund claim that will be processed in a few days, giving them time to keep scamming other people and start the process all over again.
The way it works is always more or less the same:
A newly created website, usually only days or weeks old.
Many very positive Trustpilot reviews with very recent dates.
Very aggressive Google ads to attract customers.
You must pay in advance when booking.
A few hours before pickup, they cancel the service and tell you to request a refund.
After some time scamming people, they close the website saying they cannot compete with rideshare apps anymore, and disappear with the money.
Some websites used so far:
europebytaxi .com
transfersbycab .com
europetaxicab .com
eurotaxi .it
As this person will probably continue opening new websites while it still works, here are some things to look at when checking if a transfer website could be fake.
Main warning signs:
Very new website
Sudden explosion of positive reviews in a short time
No company details or tax information
No real address or proper phone number
Only prepaid bookings through questionable payment platforms
Prices clearly below normal market prices
Smaller warning signs:
Communication only by email
Only studio or stock photos
No real social media presence
Their whole activity is just the website and review profiles
Of course, having one of these things alone does not automatically mean it is a scam. Some legitimate companies may have one or two of these characteristics. It is the combination of many of them that should make people careful. Cheers