MEL taxi scam

[AustraliaPoochie]

Dajop, you need to walk to T3/T4 plaza/piazza, or the front door of the airport at T3/T4.
Tho/too... maybe, they see that 8pm is not a viable time slot for them to do their wares.

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

Dajop, you need to walk to T3/T4 plaza/piazza, or the front door of the airport at T3/T4.
Tho/too... maybe, they see that 8pm is not a viable time slot for them to do their wares.

The last few time I have had a late evening flight landing at T3 or 4 I havent seen any touts either. Perhaps there is a compliance blitz on.'

 

[Rembrandt]

The touts are there, standing out like a sore thumb isn't going to benefit them. They just suss out who they can manipulate. They tried it on me as I was dazed and confused after multiple red eyed flights from Europe to Australia. These guys are experts in manipulation.

 

[peach iced tea]

The touts are there, standing out like a sore thumb isn't going to benefit them. They just suss out who they can manipulate. They tried it on me as I was dazed and confused after multiple red eyed flights from Europe to Australia. These guys are experts in manipulation.

Did u agree

 

[anat0l]

Perhaps there is a compliance blitz on.'

What's a "compliance blitz"? Plain clothes officer sees touts (or gets touted themselves) and tells them to move on, or seizes their vehicle, or actually arrests them?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

You will always see the 2 AFP vans, sitting out there at T3/T4, but you dont see the officers there.
They might be inside the terminal doing their rounds, but I think their duties are public safety inside, and not to chase off the touts.
VicPol also probably wont do anything, as its fed gov property, tho leased out for many years.
STV public transport compliance also probably cant/do much, those touts have no fear, if they gov official comes close, the touts then know who they are, (but grin, heh, the touts probably know who the officers are), (yeah, and what are you going to do)?

 

[Rembrandt]

Did u agree

They key words in my comment were 'They tried it on me'...

 

[Quickstatus]

VicPol also probably wont do anything, as its fed gov property, tho leased out for many years.
STV public transport compliance also probably cant/do much

STV do covert anti tout operations at MEL but per above comments has been largely ineffective.

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

STV do covert anti tout operations at MEL but per above comments has been largely ineffective.

Ok, I will be swanning through T3 on a late night return flight later this week and will look out for the touts. its matter of jurisdiction for the Victorian State Government.The State government here is struggling with the overall crime rate and their reaction to the touts is a knee jerk and a fine at best.T hey use undercover enforcement officers at times , who like the uncover enforcement officers on the trams stand out like sore thumbs.The touts are better funded ,more organised and many of them are moonlighting taxi or uber drivers.

 

[Chicken]

I am happy to report that I met the first one in my life yesterday at 5:30 PM peak hour! It was T3, he was in a suit with jacket, dressed like a hire car driver. He stood near one of the doors, and said in a really low voice "Do you need a car?". I'm so excited

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am happy to report that I met the first one in my life yesterday at 5:30 PM peak hour! It was T3, he was in a suit with jacket, dressed like a hire car driver. He stood near one of the doors, and said in a really low voice "Do you need a car?". I'm so excited

Reminds me of the time my sister - then in her 30s - was driving and saw her first ever roadside breath testing facility up ahead…

She pulled over as soon as she saw it… still about 300 metres away.

Next second there were cop cars all around her and the officer approached the car demanding to know why she had stopped?

Winding down the window she explained she was so excited to have her first breath test she’d stopped to fix her hair and apply lipstick to look presentable!

She blew 0.00 and apparently the cops thought it was hilarious!

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

Reminds me of the time my sister - then in her 30s - was driving and saw her first ever roadside breath testing facility up ahead…

She pulled over as soon as she saw it… still about 300 metres away.

Next second there were cop cars all around her and the officer approached the car demanding to know why she had stopped?

Winding down the window she explained she was so excited to have her first breath test she’d stopped to fix her hair and apply lipstick to look presentable!

She blew 0.00 and apparently the cops thought it was hilarious!

Report from T 3 and T4 , 2400 hrs 21/05/2026- no tout sighting

 

[anat0l]

The State government here is struggling with the overall crime rate

A tout tries to entice a person into an unfair and potentially unsafe contract. Nothing happens. Just part of the high crime rate.

Punch a tout because they deserve it and no one would deny that is unjust. Get arrested and charged faster than you can blink - the justice system works?

 

[dajop]

A tout tries to entice a person into an unfair and potentially unsafe contract. Nothing happens. Just part of the high crime rate.

Punch a tout because they deserve it and no one would deny that is unjust. Get arrested and charged faster than you can blink - the justice system works?

Follow the outrage machine first and foremost (and then the votes).

No one is getting outraged that, most likely a tourist, is being ripped off by a tout at an airport. Being ripped off by a for hire driver is probably as old as cars themselves. Not going to be item 1 or even item 10 on the nightly news. It doesn't make it into the Facebook or X outrage algorithms either I expect. They're too busy spreading misinformation about all sorts of bigger, things that will outrage people and drive engagement. Touts at airports is probably not one of things (and besides, it's not misinformation, so definitely wouldn't make the algorithms). Even on AFF it only warrants 13 pages. QF trying to rip off customers ends up with 50+ pages

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

Report from T1,2000 hrs 26/05/2026- no tout sightings, but a lot of confused travellers trying to work out how to actually get a Taxi . Not to worry, the Uber curb side assistant fellow kindly directed us.

 

[peach iced tea]

Report from T1,2000 hrs 26/05/2026- no tout sightings, but a lot of confused travellers trying to work out how to actually get a Taxi . Not to worry, the Uber curb side assistant fellow kindly directed us.

Check the pin before u put in the suitcase

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Seems that new international students coming into MEL airport, get a cabcharge one use vouchers, using qr code, for incoming students, as on Reddit, scary that they will fall prey to the tricks of the taxi drivers.
Poor new students, open to the tricks of the taxi drivers, as are new comers.
Also, now that they have moved the taxi rank to where the valet used to be, its now not a straight one, for the T1/T2 side... I think from my quick look, its a row of 5 and about 10 cars can go in and out per row, so quite compact, and the taxi drivers wouldnt like that.
Meaning they would in time, put more emphasis on the touts onto that plaza, probably at the times they feel its most worthwhile.
Out the front, it seems that uber has taken front of shop, ranking.