Say My Name Scam – Explained

How many times a week do you use rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft? These are becoming very popular and they are a way of life for many people. In particular, you no longer have to own a car and you can still get to where you want to go. Some people even argue that it is cheaper and more eco-friendly to use these services rather than to own a vehicle.

But, one thing you have to be aware of is that this creates an opportunity for scams. Unfortunately, this is the reality of the world we live in and if there is an opportunity to get more money out of you, a lot of people are going to take it. In particular, a lot of drivers from Uber and Lyft are being scammed out of money. Have you heard of the say my name scam? Let’s learn more about this and how it is affecting drivers and their livelihoods.

What is the Say My Name Story?

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First of all, let’s explain exactly what the latest scam is that is happening to drivers for Uber and Lyft. It is called the say my name scam. You may be surprised how this scam started off. In fact, it was actually after a young woman, Samantha Josephson, was killed after she thought she was getting into her Uber driver’s car. Of course, this was a huge tragedy that a lot of people did not forget. Indeed, people wanted to be safer when they were entering an Uber or Lyft and this meant that they wanted the driver to identify themselves and make sure that they were there for their ride. In other words, they wanted the driver to say the name of the person they were picking up.

All over social media, people were talking about this tragic death. In particular, people were worried about their safety. Through the hashtag #WhatsMyName, everybody wanted each other to test their driver before they got in and to say their name. On the face of it, this does not sound like a bad idea and it can give you peace of mind that you are getting in the right Uber or Lyft.

So, people wanted you to do was wait for your Uber driver to pick you up at the agreed location. Then, you would come out to meet the driver. When they roll down the window, you greet them and ask the driver to say your name. When they say your name and it is correct, you can climb in the passenger seat and relax on the way to your destination.

What is the Say My Name Scam?

You might be wondering how the scam works. Well, it is very similar to the scenario we have just described. You are to wait on your Uber or Lyft driver and you want them to say your name before you enter the vehicle. But, in this case, you are wanting them to say the name so that you can get a free ride. You are not doing it so that you will be safe. In other words, you want them to say the name so that you can pretend to be that person.

The scam works in the sense that all rideshare services are paid for by the app. So, once the journey is completed, it is going to be paid for by the person using the Uber or Lyft app. Thus, if you jump in a car and pretend to be that person, you are not going to be discovered and they are going to be paying for the ride.

Of course, this say my name scam is a terrible one. People are taking advantage of a tragedy in order to get a free ride. The Uber or Lyft driver is in an awkward position too. They want to put their rider at ease and the way to do this is by saying the name of the person they are waiting for. But, at the same time, they might not get paid if it is not the right person.

Let’s not forget that people have a lot of information when they use the Uber and Lyft app. For example, they should be able to see the name of the driver, as well as a photo of him or her. In addition, you should be aware of what make and model of vehicle you are getting into, plus the color. You even have access to the license plate number too. So, you have a wealth of information to make sure that you are riding with the right person. However, a driver has a lot less information to go on. In fact, all they know is a name and a location. So, it is argued that it is the rider that should identify themselves to the driver. After all, they should know if this person is right based on the information on the app.

But, some drivers are getting their own back on scammers. If they suspect that that person is trying to scam them, they actually say a fake name. This way, when that person agrees, they know that they are being dishonest. For example, there are a lot of drunk people after a night out that will try the say my name scam. So, drivers are getting their own back. There are even some Uber drivers that are creating YouTube videos out of the scams.

Both Uber and Lyft have made it clear in their pickup policy about how the interaction should work. Indeed, it is up to the passenger to say what their name is the driver. This is because they have all of the information about the driver on the app already. So, they are supposed to be at a disadvantage in the conversation. Just make sure that you carefully look at this information before getting into a vehicle. It can all happen so quickly but you want to be safe on your journey.