Philadelphia officials warn residents about the rise of fake ride-share drivers
Many people living in cities have favorite ride-share apps. Often, the chosen platform is either Uber or Lyft, but people have several options. The problem is that using ride-share apps brings a certain level of danger. Now, officials in Philadelphia are warning residents about the rise of fake ride-share drivers. Naturally, getting into the car with someone pretending to be a driver can have dire consequences.
Ride-share apps are mostly safe, but there are some concerns
Ride-share apps provide considerable convenience. They are useful for people without cars and for those who simply prefer to ride instead of drive. Now, according to ABC 6, the Philadelphia Parking Authority is issuing a warning to people who use Uber, Lyft, or other apps to find rides. Sadly, there is a rise in fake drivers who can scam passengers or even worse.
The report says these people are not drivers with either of the ride-share apps. However, they approach people on the street who seem to be waiting for rides. This often happens near busy events such as concerts or high-profile games. They also do this at airports.
Sadly, people who fall for this scheme end up paying more than they agreed. Often, they’ll get charged a certain amount only for it to double or triple by the next day. Someone with the Philadelphia Parking Authority had this to say, “You get in a car, somebody tells you $50, and you swipe the card. And then you get home, or the next day, and the charge is over $200, and then there’s no way to track that down.”
This led the ABC 6 investigative team to investigate the situation. They quickly received several offers for rides, but none of the drivers were from Uber, Lyft, or any taxi service.
However, it wasn’t only the news team that was investigating. The Philadelphia Parking Authority also pretended to look for rides only to bust the ones who weren’t drivers for ride-share apps. The drivers who were caught had their vehicles towed, and they had to pay $1,000 to get them back. There have been 45 citations and 44 vehicles towed this year alone.
