In an example of exactly how important it is to research new cities and how transportation works there before you travel, officials in New York say a man without a livery cab license posed as a Super Shuttle driver and lured travelers going through the John F. Kennedy International Airport hugely inflated fares.

According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement, [PDF] the man has been charged with criminal possession of forged documents and other charges for allegedly luring fares in a dishonest manner at JFK last weekend.

The D.A.’s office said that the suspect would approach potential customers and tell them that he was a Super Shuttle driver, and that the Air Train — which shuttles people from the airport to other terminals as well as public transit — was down, and offered to take them to the nearest transit station or elsewhere.

Officials say they found a rate book as well as receipt books and other materials in the van with the Super Shuttle logo.

According to the New York Post, he’d then allegedly charge tourists upwards of $400 or more for destinations like the Upper West Side of Manhattan, for example, as well as exorbitant fees for rides to the other boroughs and local AirT rain stations. And that didn’t include fees for tolls or the tip.

Sources tell the NYP it’s believed he might have pulled this trick before.

“It is important that travelers visiting New York City are provided with a safe and welcoming atmosphere at our airports. Unregulated taxis and unscrupulous drivers – who are not properly licensed and do not carry appropriate insurance – put riders at risk,” D.A. Brown says in the statement.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.