Woman attacked by fake Uber driver

applecruncher

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Ohio USA
I like Uber, but I always verify the license place # and usually the driver's name.

But this woman had a frightening experience:

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – A Las Vegas woman on Tuesday shared her incredible story of surviving a terrifying ride with a fake Uber driver.

Elizabeth Suarez said the man, a fake Uber driver, refused to stop and let her out, but she escaped by leaping out of the moving car.

Her story serves as a reminder of how important it is to stay aware and use caution when using a ride share service.
Suarez said the fake driver gestured her and so she opened the door. “I said are you here for Liz, and he says ‘yeah get in.’”

When Suarez real Uber driver called looking for her outside the Park MGM in Las Vegas this past July, she realized she was in trouble. “I thought, well he is going to kidnap me, rape, kill me.”

The fake Uber driver refused to pull over. Suarez said she made a Snapchat, took his picture when he started cursing, demanding her wallet and phone. Surveillance video shows Suarez jump out of the speeding car in a shopping center giving her a head injury, fractured wrists and ankle.

With the rise in fake Uber drivers across the country, national law enforcement analysts Vincent Hill said one cannot blame the victims but did offer some safety advice. “They [fake Uber drivers] go around and look for people standing out with their phones looking for an Uber driver and they wave them over.”

Passengers are advised to always confirm the license plate, car make and mode and the driver’s picture in the app. Also, passengers are encouraged to ask drivers who they picking up and their name is.

If passengers are in the correct Uber, they will be able to share their ride with friends and family and an emergency button will work. “Even if you don’t call 911 and don’t say anything, they can still track that call,” said Hill.
Suarez said she wants to prevent the next predator under the guise of a rideshare driver. “I am here and I am here to tell my story and warn other girls.”

The Las Vegas Metro Police are investigating.

Uber and Lyft said they have tightened its background check beyond requirement under certain city laws.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco district attorney launched a campaign called Rideshare with Care to help educate riders on safety options. The move came after a serial rapist dubbed the ‘rideshare rapist.’ He was arrested in July, accused of posing as a Lyft driver and raping four women.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/39072852/rideshare-safety-woman-survives-scary-ride-with-fake-uber-driver


 

OMG, our safety is being compromised more and more as the years go by!

Not only this, AC, but today I saw something on the news about legitimate Uber and Lyft, etc drivers trying to harass girls.
 
@ RR

I've only had one uncomfortable Uber experience, and I reported him and was given an apology and refund. Throughout the years I've had a few unpleasant taxi rides (usually rudeness, smelly vehicles) but I can't recall the last time I took a taxi.
 

To me using a ride sharing service is not any better than hitching a ride with a stranger and on top of it having to pay the driver for the experience. NO, THANK YOU!

Edit to add: The taxi drivers I've been chatting with have told me that it's getting harder to get customers because of those ride sharing services. If this keeps up and puts taxis out of business then I'm going to have to start driving. And when that happens--LOOK OUT WORLD!!! Nervous driver coming through. :cool:
 
I have nothing but praise for Uber service providers I've had experiences with, but, I did once run into someone trying to pick me up and me thinking it was my Uber ride It really would have been on me since Uber sends you the make and model of the car, and this guys trying to pick me up was driving some type of sports car, not the usual more sedan type vehicle Uber drivers have, but, it was raining and I was rushing out to the car. Also, once I got a good look at the guy, I recognized the guy as someone who had been staring me down most of the night anyway, so, no way was I getting in. Perv!

Uber has implemented more stricter rules to insure passenger safety, but, like with anything chit happens, I've had more bad experiences with regular cabbies and so far zip bad experiences due to anything Uber service did.

 
Just before I retired from the State Police, we had an issue with unlicensed Uber drivers circling the big airports here in PA and asking people waiting on the curb for rides, if they would like an Uber driver. We had one similar situation where a female waited and waited for her ride and she finally got in the car with her carry-on bag in hand. She told the Uber that she needed a ride to a diner about 5 miles from the airport. The driver took her for about a 10 mile drive before she realized that something was wrong. She spotted a restaurant, (which was not the one she wanted), and told the driver, "Finally, we are here." She said the driver looked surprised, but he did pull over and let her out and said she owed him $5.00. That was her second tip off that he was not her Uber. She took down the license plate number and the man was arrested after he confessed that he was trying to run a scam, but didn't know how to exactly finish the job. No one bought that story, but he was charged accordingly. We think he was working up the nerve to do something more sinister, but we had no proof. We all agreed that this young lady was probably very lucky that it ended the way it did.
 
I've only used Uber twice, both times for airport rides. The drivers were pleasant and professional. I can't say the same to always have been true of taxi rides, but overall they have also been pretty good. Thanks for the reminder to check the license plate and driver photo before getting into an Uber.

It feels like we must always be on our guard.
 
Her first mistake is that she didn't verify that she was getting into the right car! The Uber app shows you clearly the name of your driver, the make and model of the car (with a picture of it) and the license plate number. It keeps you posted as to when your vehicle is due to arrive (usually within minutes). I don't know if she was too drunk or what but had she verified she was getting in the right car, her ordeal would have been avoided. I'm glad that she had the where with all to jump to safety, however.

I took Uber 3 times last week and have taken Uber a few times before that. The drivers were courteous and professional. Some taxi drivers can be downright rude. Now our city has cabs that ride around and pick you up like they do in N.Y.C. It used to be you had to call for a cab which I preferred. At least the cab company had a record of who they sent, what time, etc. But a
s long as Uber is around, I have no intentions of taking a cab again.
 
A person riding around claiming to work for Uber who wasn't summoned via app isn't working for Uber. I smell a tall tale. People have to be idiots to get in such cars.
 


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