TORONTO — City of Toronto officials are warning visitors to the Toronto Islands to avoid fraudulent websites selling fake ferry tickets after reports of spoof sites designed to steal money and credit card details.The alert, issued Saturday, follows City Council’s July 30 approval of free ferry rides throughout August for children, youth under 20, and seniors 65 and older. Mayor Olivia Chow and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik advanced the motion, titled “Celebrating the Win: Free August Ferry Rides for Kids and Seniors,” in recognition of public opposition to the proposed expansion of Billy Bishop Airport.The $940,000 program is funded through Section 37 contributions from developers rather than property-tax revenue. Officials emphasized that eligible passengers must still obtain a ticket, which remains free for the designated age groups during the month..“We’ve received reports of fraudulent websites claiming to be the City of Toronto and selling fake ferry tickets,” the city stated on social media. “These websites are a scam, only purchase ferry tickets from toronto.ca/ferry.”All legitimate City of Toronto web pages contain “toronto.ca” in the address. Scam sites often use similar-looking domain names to mimic the official ferry ticket portal and target passengers heading to popular destinations such as Ward’s Island, Centre Island, and Hanlan’s Point.Passengers are advised to buy tickets only through the official city website or at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.The free-ride promotion is expected to increase demand during peak summer weekends, making the scam warning particularly relevant for families and visitors planning island trips this month.
