'Just Be Extremely Cautious': Pittsburgh-Area Uber Drivers Out Hundreds Of Dollars After Scams
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) — Pittsburgh-area Uber drivers said they are out hundreds of dollars after scammers targeted local rideshare drivers.
Wolfgang Weston said he got a normal pickup alert, but then the customer soon called and stated they were with Uber.
"As soon as the person got on the phone, they said they were Uber and that they were congratulating me with a $500 bonus," Weston said.
What he thought was a holiday surprise turned out to be a scam that has hit several drivers in the Pittsburgh area.
"As soon as I put in the info for the gift card, this person hung up and the money I'd earned this week was gone," Weston said.
Weston told KDKA he had a feeling it wasn't a true bonus, but he was too excited to follow his instinct.
On Friday, he filed a report at the Uber Hub in Lawrenceville with the hope no one else becomes a victim.
Weston said the company is working with him to help retrieve his earnings.
"To the rideshare people out there, just be extremely cautious. If there is anything out of the ordinary that comes to you in the form of a trip request, be extremely careful," Weston said.
Two other drivers reported similar situations to KDKA in the last few months.
"They were offering me some kind of bonus on some card and upload to my account if I changed the card on file and I felt that sounds super suspicious," one driver told KDKA.
She said the caller sent her into a dark neighborhood for the pickup, but quickly she turned around to a more public area.
She had seen posts on social media from other drivers and realized it was probably a scam.
Uber said this is a scam that has hit drivers across the country.
"We routinely help drivers reclaim their funds when they fall victim to scams like this, and they can contact our team through the 24/7 driver support line, in-app support, help.uber.com or in-person at a Greenlight Hub," said an Uber spokesperson.
