We want to bring your attention to a concerning trend that has been affecting rideshare drivers in our area. Criminals are exploiting the trust of drivers through a phone theft scam, and we need your help to spread the word and stay vigilant.
How the scam works:
– Criminals schedule a ride with the same starting and ending location.
– Upon entering the vehicle, they convince the driver to hand over their phone to input the destination address.
– Once in possession of the unlocked phone, they swiftly make their escape.
– Thieves then utilize the victim’s phone to schedule additional rides, committing further thefts.
– Financial fraud is committed on the driver’s phone, exploiting access to banking apps and personal information.
Safety Tips:
– Never hand over your phone: Protect your personal belongings and maintain control over your device.
– Verify drop-off locations: Ensure each ride has a valid drop-off location before proceeding.
– Consider canceling any reservation that has the same starting and ending location.
Additional Security Measures:
– Consider using a third party password manager on your iPhone that you may remotely disable in the event of a theft.
– Use this third party password manager as your two-factor authentication for banking apps.
In Case of Incident:
Report any incidents promptly to the police and be able to provide the phone number of the phone that was taken and your carrier. Saving your phones IMEI number somewhere is a big plus.
Community Action:
Please share this post with your fellow rideshare drivers and friends. Let’s work together to keep our community safe and informed. Your safety is our top priority. Thank you for your cooperation!
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.