Rideshare can be a great tool to get to your destination safely. But, unfortunately, not all drivers have the best intentions. This story comes in two parts but is mainly inspired by a new trend among Uber and Lyft drivers. Drivers are beginning to make live streams out of their passengers.
It all started when it was discovered that at least one driver that drives for both Uber and Lyft has live streamed hundreds of rides over the last few months. The driver resides in St. Louis and has been since dropped from their services. However, two more cases have been uncovered in Wisconsin and California.
Many agree that this was unethical and could have become a serious safety issue for the passengers who have been involved. After all, many of the live streams were said to reveal personal information such as their full name, full appearance, and even their home address.
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It is extremely difficult to identify and remove drivers who are contributing to a growing issue that is beginning to appear more widespread. This means it is important to be more aware than ever, before and during an Uber or Lyft ride.
Before you get into the car, look around for stickers that may say something about recording devices being present. Look for any camera pointed to the inside of the vehicle and ask questions if you are suspicious. In some of the previous cases, passengers did not notice stickers disclosing that there is a camera involved. Some even asked the driver about cameras where he lied, saying that they were for safety purposes. Uber and Lyft warn that that is not company policy and if you are not comfortable being recorded or suspicious at all to cancel the ride.
It is also important to report this behaviour to the company and also within your review to warn future passengers. Another reminder is to report any suspicious behaviour at all and if you ever feel unsafe during a ride, let someone know.
Another scam that Uber drivers in Florida are trying to pull is to accuse passengers of vomiting and charging them a cleaning fee when the passengers did not do anything wrong.
It is known that many Uber drivers dread hosting drunk passenger in fear of things such as vomit. This was made known when Uber announced the possible development of detecting drunk passengers before assigning them a driver. Drivers then voiced concern about being paid more for handling passengers who are intoxicated because many of them feel the cleaning compensation is not enough to cover the inconvenience of maintaining their vehicle. Experts believe that it also has to due to the small profits made by driving due to the expenses of gas and Uber coverage.
However, Uber is said to have been looking into it, but it is difficult to pick out the fraudulent charges among the legitimate ones. It is also difficult to classify this under criminal activity due to the unique nature of this scam. But, most people who fall, a victim of this, are people who fail to regularly check emails, bank statements, etc., so make sure to make that a habit if you do not do so already.
There are always new scams and dangers occurring, but the best way to avoid becoming a victim is to stay aware at all times, especially while using rideshare.
