Tennis fans are warned about a shocking scam at the Australian Open

Fans heading to the Australian Open have been warned to be on the lookout for Melbourne cab drivers who will try to scam them by using a shonky payment method to rip them off.

Some taxi drivers are using the underhanded trick to charge customers as much as $80 for a fare from the MCG to Richmond, which is just a short walk from the famous stadium, and one traveller was told to pay $100 for a six-kilometre journey recently.

The offending drivers have found a way around the current payment system, which is linked directly to the meter to stop cabbies from adding extra charges to the fare.

They are instead using a different, hand-held payment terminal to get around the meter and charge hugely inflated prices.

Taxi giant 13Cabs has asked the Victorian Government to introduce new regulations to stamp out the practice.

‘This is the method they [the drivers] use when they charge you $80 to take you from the MCG to Richmond,’ 13Cabs head of public affairs David Samuel told News Corp.

‘The taxi meter is what creates integrity in the taxi. It is that taxi meter that gives you the privilege to do rank and hail work.

Nick Kyrgios (pictured) will be one of the biggest drawcards at this year’s Grand Slam

Spectators who catch cabs back from Melbourne Park (pictured) have been told to beware drivers who use a separate payment system to rip them off 

‘if you want to abuse that privilege, you’re likely to lose it.’

Samuel added that it is currently possible to make sure all payment terminals can only charge what is listed on the meter, but the industry still needs a regulation brought in to enforce that.

Fans at the Australian Open have been hit with steep prices for everything from tickets to food and clothing.

Last year seats at the men’s singles final were going for as much as $6000 each, with the cheapest tickets going for a staggering $1998.

The hip pocket pain continued at the merchandise stores, with one official tracksuit setting fans back $419, with official towels costing $79 and some baseball caps priced at $99. 

Spectators were paying $14.50 for a 425mL plastic cup of beer and $29.50 for a glass of champagne.

Chilli cheese dogs were $18.50 each, with a beef burger and hot chips costing $22.50 and chocolate bars going for $6. 

In 2023, the Open was selling designer backpacks for $449, Ralph Lauren water bottles for $99 and $419 for the jackets worn by the tournament’s ball kids.