It's an expensive scam for victims, and it could be dangerous: Fake Uber drivers insinuate themselves into the taxi lines at big airports, snagging riders and jacking up prices.
According to Uber New York, more than 2,000 people each week fall for a fake Uber scam at LaGuardia and John F Kennedy International.
Travelers expecting an Uber driver stroll out to the curb and are waved down to a waiting car with an Uber logo.
After that, the results can be expensive, at the very least. Some fake drivers stop midway and demand a sort of ransom. Others just jack up the Uber price.
If you are traveling and have ordered an Uber, here are some things to check for:
– The make and model of the car you ordered should match. The Uber logo might not be legitimate.
– The Uber app displays the license plate number. Be sure it matches.
– An Uber driver will ask your name, and you should confirm that his name matches the app.
– A person should not approach and claim to be Uber. Look for the ordered car yourself. There are no human dispatchers.
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Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.