# Be aware of thieves who will scam you with Lyft!



## JK7 (Jul 4, 2018)

There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.

You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
If you give them the phone number, the thief will then try to log into your account and ask you for the access code that you receive in a text from Lyft. If you tell the thief the access code, they will then edit your express pay card and replace with thief's own card. Then the thief will ask you to respond to the text message you receive asking to update the card info on your account. The thief will tell you to respond with "ADD" and if you send the text, then the thief will cash out your Lyft balance.

In order to pull off this scam, the thief will also ask for the last 4 digits of your social security number. They may also ask you for your driver's license number.

They will also end the call and call you back on a San Francisco number.

The thieves who are running this scam are very good at convincing people that they are working for Lyft. It sounds improbable that they could trick drivers this way, but it is happening. They have a thorough knowledge of how Lyft works and they understand how to trick drivers into trusting them by the way they walk the drivers through the process. They are able to give the impression that it is a real Lyft call.

So, watch out. If they try to pull this scam on you, call 911 and see if you can get police to respond and come look for the thief. The thief might be at the pickup spot (or near it) when you make the first call.


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## Uberisfuninlv (Mar 22, 2017)

Please see the other 500 threads on this scam scattered on the boards before you post. Thank you


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

There is no way that the thief is anywhere in that area. If you think this is a shocker, you'll really be shocked to know Uber and Lyft both know about these scams and do nothing


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## joebo1963 (Dec 21, 2016)

Anyone dumb enough to give away your phone number or social just shouldn’t be driving. Any time someone asks any personal info on any fishing call I just tell them my junk is 8 inches and they almost always hang up.


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

Old scam. First time I heard of it on Lyft though.


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## Gone_in_60_seconds (Jan 21, 2018)

JK7 said:


> There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.
> 
> You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
> You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
> ...


This scam is old as time. It was done by scammers on Uber accounts before


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## welikecamping (Nov 27, 2018)

Funny, I've never been scammed by a passenger, only by Lyft.


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## UpNorth (Sep 15, 2019)

JK7 said:


> There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.
> 
> You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
> You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
> ...


This past Weds had a test run from lift did it as instructed. Then when passenger wasn't there I let the time 5 minutes run out and cancelled a few minutes I got a $5 cancellation add to my account. I was never asked for any info but of I would never give any out anyways just saying a test request isn't necessarily a scam.


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## 197438 (Mar 7, 2020)

JK7 said:


> There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.
> 
> You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
> You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
> ...


Anyone who falls for this probably doesn't have good credit anyway. I rarely answer calls from a pax. I'm a driving service, not an answering service. Be at the appointed location, or I move on. No special instructions needed.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

UpNorth said:


> This past Weds had a test run from lift did it as instructed. Then when passenger wasn't there I let the time 5 minutes run out and cancelled a few minutes I got a $5 cancellation add to my account. I was never asked for any info but of I would never give any out anyways just saying a test request isn't necessarily a scam.


A test run? What the hell is a test run? Did you contact Lyft to verify they in fact sent you on a test run? I can't see Uber Lyft just giving away $5 for a test run but perhaps. They never stop surprising me LOL


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## UpNorth (Sep 15, 2019)

For the pax name was Test it was a Lyft ride and yes I've heard of them. I guess they want to see your pick up time and follow up contacting pax which was no reply then wait the 5 mins cancelled properly


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

13- number of times thief mentioned :smiles:


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

UpNorth said:


> For the pax name was Test it was a Lyft ride and yes I've heard of them. I guess they want to see your pick up time and follow up contacting pax which was no reply then wait the 5 mins cancelled properly


Like a mystery shopper only it's not a mystery because you know it's a test passenger? What's the point of that?


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## UpNorth (Sep 15, 2019)

I don't know I was assuming to see your pick up time your running on time or less. A message came in call test while I was on route, I assumed they were seeing if I would called pax which I did but it answer then cut off. Then I sent message to pax I was there. Know one response so 5 mins I cancelled. It may just a test to see if the system was working properly either way $5 was worth driving 3 miles to pick up location


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## Erik M (Sep 30, 2018)

JK7 said:


> There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.
> 
> You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
> You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
> ...


Holy HELL i had this happen here in LA. I got the text message immediately but didn't call the number, it was a long ride and didn't want it anyway. No one ever showed so I canceled it and got the $4. Damn glad I didn't call the number!


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## Galveston (Aug 16, 2019)

JK7 said:


> There is a scam happening. This happened in Austin, Texas. Here is how it goes.
> 
> You will get a ping with a note instructing to call when you arrive.
> You call, the thief will pretend to Lyft customer service. The thief will say that there is no passenger to pick up. The thief will say this is Lyft running a random test to check that their drivers are in fact the drivers listed on their accounts. You will be asked to cancel the ride and then asked what is the phone number associated with the account.
> ...


I love those calls just don't cancel and run the time with dumb questions.


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## oldnavyht3 (Jul 17, 2019)

I love how the scammer got upset with me and said that if I will be deactivated until after the coronavirus was over.


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## Galveston (Aug 16, 2019)

oldnavyht3 said:


> I love how the scammer got upset with me and said that if I will be deactivated until after the coronavirus was over.


Ha at the very last I told my scammer I was investigating him and then he said then "s my d" and hung up but he cancelled too late, I got his money


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## Erik M (Sep 30, 2018)

I don't know I was assuming to see your pick up time your running on time or less. A message came in call test while I was on route, I assumed they were seeing if I would called pax which I did but it answer then cut off. Then I sent message to pax I was there. Know one response so 5 mins I cancelled. It may just a test to see if the system was working properly either way $5 was worth driving 3 miles to pick up location

Why would Lyft use mystery riders only to have the driver wait out the 5 mins and get their $5? They're already having a cash flow crisis so I doubt they would waist money and time to see if the driver actually calls his/her pax! Seems very unlogical and makes no business sense.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

Erik M said:


> I don't know I was assuming to see your pick up time your running on time or less. A message came in call test while I was on route, I assumed they were seeing if I would called pax which I did but it answer then cut off. Then I sent message to pax I was there. Know one response so 5 mins I cancelled. It may just a test to see if the system was working properly either way $5 was worth driving 3 miles to pick up location
> 
> Why would Lyft use mystery riders only to have the driver wait out the 5 mins and get their $5? They're already having a cash flow crisis so I doubt they would waist money and time to see if the driver actually calls his/her pax! Seems very unlogical and makes no business sense.


Oh Boy. .. you have so much to learn little grasshopper. Lyft is not doing this nor is Uber LOL wow they technically could see I guess I don't know how hard up to turn profit they are but they could be hiring these people to steal our money LOL JK sort of. Please tell me you did not call a third party number from your cell phone or message a third-party number. Only call the number that's in the app. You can do that through the app or through your phone either way they are encrypted but any phone number that's not in the app they now have your personal cell number. Game on. What is the one thing our account is linked to? Our phone number so once they have that oh, you would be surprised what they can do periodically you're lucky they did not answer because they probably would have had your account cleared out and then Christmas shopping with your money by the time you discovered it


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## Denver Dick (Nov 2, 2019)

I don’t talk to uber or Lyft....I would hang up


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