In a world where scams seem to be ever-evolving, one can never be too careful. With the rise of digital savviness, you don’t have to be the stereotypical elderly person to fall for a con. Tales of folks being tricked by their “banks,” mysterious packages arriving at their doorstep, and more scams litter the internet. Now, it seems Uber may have joined the list of services to watch out for.
Like, when you hail one.
What happened to this Uber passenger?
You already need some level of trust to get into a car with a stranger, so when the ride isn’t going as planned, it’s no surprise that alarm bells in your head start ringing. One Uber customer says her scam senses started tingling when she approached her ride and found an unexpected surprise.
TikToker Coco (@coco.sharp) issued a PSA in a viral video, which has been viewed more than 242,000 times as of this writing.
“So there’s this new scam going around,” she begins, “and I haven’t heard a lot of people talk about it…If you use Uber or Lyft, this applies to you.”
According to Coco, the “scam” she experienced typically occurs in the late evenings and “especially on weekends.” She notes it can only happen if you order an Uber X ride, meaning you are the sole passenger.
“The scam or the danger risk is that there is someone who is either posing as a friend or a partner of the driver who is sitting in the passenger seat,” Coco says. The TikToker points out these passengers are “mostly men.”
Coco says she was coming out of a restaurant when she approached her ride. She saw someone was in the passenger seat, which was odd since she ordered an Uber X. Coco canceled her ride and kept walking.
“Please be careful, please be alert, and please be aware,” Coco concludes.
But what’s the Uber scam?
Several viewers were puzzled by Coco’s video, demanding to know what the “scam” is.
“That’s not a scam!” one top comment read. “That’s a safety concern/risk report the driver to uber.”
Another echoed, “I was waiting for you to explain the scam…but instead you described a safety concern.”
“I was waiting for a scam to be explained,” yet another user commented. “A scams purpose is to gain money or obtain information to later profit money. This is more like kidnapping.”
However, Coco shared more details in her caption. She explains that the scam lies in sharing a ride when you did not request a shared ride. That is, where the cost is split among passengers.
“The scam: you are driving with an additional driver and you didn’t pay for a shared ride,” she wrote. “At the end of the day- you are paying for YOURSELF to get in the car. Usually two men but someone else shouldn’t be there with you. Pls be aware and alert, especially if you are under the influence.”
While Coco’s experience could be construed as a scam since she hadn’t ordered a shared ride, viewers weren’t the only ones concerned about safety.
Uber under fire over safety concerns
The ride-sharing company is no stranger to controversies concerning passengers’ safety. For instance, a 2024 report revealed there were over 3,000 assault lawsuits filed against the company. Additionally, there have been reports of shooting incidents, even deaths, and alleged attempted kidnapping as well. According to Google Gemini, some other concerns include lack of safety features and customer support, concerns about drivers’ contractor status, and a lack of comprehensive data on the dangers faced by drivers.
@coco.sharp The scam: you are driving with an additional driver and you didn’t pay for a shared ride. Other stories have been shared that they have been scammed when getting in the car. Why would someone do this? Well because folks get in from the back of the car checking the licence plate. At the end of the day- you are paying for YOURSELF to get in the car. Usually two men but someone else shouldn’t be there with you. Pls be aware and alert especially if you are under the influenced. Do not take bottled water as there are other shared stories about those dangers. Take care ?#rideshare #uber #lyft #safety ♬ original sound – Coco
In its 2021-2022 safety report, Uber claimed “critical safety incidents on our platform are, statistically, extremely rare.” Still, the company continues to make headlines as incidents aren’t completely eradicated.
The Mary Sue reached out to Coco and Uber via email.
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