A D.C. Lyft driver who said he’s given more than 20,000 rides was scammed out of about $1,000 in a phone-call scheme that’s been reported around the country.
The scams have prompted a reminder from the ride-hailing service about sharing personal information.
Rudy Hairston said he got a call from someone claiming to be from Lyft who asked him for personal information, which he did give out.
“At that point, he was controlling my app. How, I don’t know,” he said.
Later, Hairston noticed several withdraws from his back account.
“They hit me for $255 on a MoneyGram,” Hairston said.
In addition, his bank account was charged more than $300 from a Brooklyn, New York, florist. He also said he put $500 on a cash card and linked it to his account. Hairston said that money was also taken.
“That’s just a scam completely, that was my fault. I should have never done that, but I did,” he said of giving out the personal information.
He’s not alone. Over the past year, drivers in Oregon, South Carolina and Colorado have said they were stolen from by scammers who posed as Lyft employees to steal their earnings. It isn’t known whether the crimes are connected.
Lyft addressed the apparent scam in a statement to WTOP:
“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and we take reports of fraudulent behavior incredibly seriously. As soon as the driver reported the alleged suspicious call, we contacted him and provided support. Drivers should contact Lyft immediately when they notice any suspicious activity on their account so that we can help address the situation. We remind drivers not to share personal information and security codes with unknown persons.”
The ride share company said it won’t ask for personal information over the phone — including verification codes sent to drivers’ phones that would allow scammers access to Lyft accounts.
Lyft has more safety tips for drivers on its website.
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