Kidnappers Pose as Lyft and Uber Drivers

Trigger Warning: Kidnapping and Sexual Abuse

Two threads on Reddit today made me want to curl up in my apartment and not go outside for a while. That’s why I shared a trigger warning on this post. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever had to do that for this blog. I don’t recommend clicking these links if you’re worried they could be triggering. One woman was almost kidnapped, and one woman shared her story of being kidnapped and raped (link removed, I didn’t feel right sharing her story). These are not easy reads, and you do not have to read them for context on this article, but I share their stories, in part, for the same reason they did, to increase awareness.

I frequently call a Lyft after I’ve had a few drinks and don’t want to walk home late at night. I’m sure many people consider it the “safer” option, depending on where you live. Walking at night for a woman isn’t generally safe in the United States, and it’s not as though it’s becoming safer. I personally have been cat called, followed to the bodega by my apartment, and, yes, even assaulted before. That’s why I’ll take a Lyft at night to be safe.

However, a ride isn’t always the best option. A recent kidnapping technique takes advantage of women’s trust in ride sharing services. Because of course it does, the world sucks.

Before We Start: It’s Not Your Fault

You shouldn’t need to have the situational awareness of a double agent in deep in the enemy’s ranks just to go outside at night as a woman. But, that’s what we do. That’s how the U.S. is for women. Put headphones in so someone is less likely to approach you? Done. Don’t actually play music so you can hear someone approaching from behind? Check. Clutch your phone in one hand and your keys or a makeshift weapon in the other? Check. Head on a swivel? You bet. Years of martial arts training? Great. You can still be a victim. I do all of that, and I still have been sexually harassed and assaulted, followed, and the like.

The truth is, it’s never the victim’s fault. Even taking no risks and living life in your apartment as an agoraphobe isn’t foolproof. Break-ins and home invasions happen. On top of all the shit we already have to do as women, we now have something else to worry about. There are methods you can use to help be aware of these attacks, but even if you do everything right, everything can still go wrong. It’s vitally important that you remember that if you’re ever the victim of something like this. It is not your fault. The blame rests solely on a society that has devalued women and our autonomy, a society that has treated women like sex objects and rewards for the male hero in films, books, TV shows, and video games. Our rampant rape culture and toxic masculinity are to blame for abuse, not you.

There are things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding attackers like this. Here are warning signs and tips to hopefully keep yourself out of danger.

The Method

Here’s what they do. A guy drives around a well-known area at night where there are bars. He’ll drive slowly. When he notices a woman leaving the bar looking at her phone, he’ll pull up, claiming to be her Lyft or Uber driver. He’s just waiting for her to stop or get closer. His partners may come out of the car and pull their victim in, or rely on her getting in the car herself, if she has been fooled. One Redditor was out with her husband, and a group of men forced her into their car in an attempted kidnapping. She fortunately got away and shared her story on Reddit as a warning to other women, but not all women have been fortunate enough to be out with a group of guys who can help her fight off a group of men.

Things to Look Out For & Tips

• Always memorize the make, model, and license plate of the car you’re waiting on. Your app should tell you this. Don’t approach a car that doesn’t match that, no matter what.
• • They may claim they recently switched cars or plates, but show that they have your information on the app. This is still sketchy, you can deny the ride and call a different one. He could be trying to avoid being identified by traffic cameras.
• If you see multiple people in the car, and you did not order a Lyft Line or Uber Pool, do not approach the car. Contact someone nearby or the police.
• If you see a guy saying he’s your ride, and you didn’t order one or ordered from a different service, go inside any nearby building and contact the management. Talk to a bouncer.
• Change the direction you’re going, they’ve already anticipated you going down that street.
• Consider calling the police if he’s trying to get other women.
• • You can dial 311 in NYC for non-emergency calls to your local police, if you’re worried about clogging up 911 lines for something that might not be an emergency.
• • You can also store your local police as a contact on your phone.
• • However, you can always call 911 though if you feel unsafe. Always. That’s what it’s there for. You’re not a burden. If you’re in danger, you’re the person 911 was made for.
• • 911 may have evolved out of a situation just like this. A woman, Kitty Genovese, was murdered outside of her apartment. No one called the police because few knew how to and the situation was unclear, so they didn’t know they could.
• Stay with friends until your ride arrives.
• If you’re alone, wait as close to the bar/restaurant as you can, or inside the bar you’re coming from.
• As a woman, you’ve been conditioned to be non-assertive and non-combative your whole life. They will take advantage of that. It’s tough, but if something “feels off,” it likely is. There’s no unacceptable level of response to a sketchy situation, no matter what someone may have told you. Shout, scream, do whatever feels over the top to alert someone of a situation.
• • I once shouted at a guy who wouldn’t leave me alone at a bar. It felt crazy at the time, but not a person around me thought I did anything wrong. You are allowed to be a little “crazy.” That’s your instincts fighting against your conditioning.
• Be ready for a fight any time you get in a stranger’s car.
• Tap on the glass of the driver’s window and ask to see the driver’s Lyft app to confirm that you are their ride. You don’t have to get in to ask to see their credentials, and if they want to give you a ride, they must provide that upon request.
• Look for Uber or Lyft tags on the car, the Lyft light up dash element, or taxi certification if it’s in a city.
• • Remember, the color should match! People can buy fake Uber and Lyft ride beacons for their cars, but the color won’t match. Unfortunately, few cars have the app tie-in, so the color on the dashboard likely won’t match the one in your app.
• • • No beacons at all = unsafe
• • • Beacon that doesn’t match = possibly safe, but double check
• • • Beacon that does match = likely safe
• Men, listen to these tips too. Yes, women are most frequently the targets of such abuse, but it doesn’t hurt to know these things. Men can be victims too, and their cases are just as valid.
• I know I’m relieved when I have a female driver, but don’t trust anyone just because they’re a woman. Trafficking groups can use women to lure in others.

There are too many potential suggestions. That’s why it’s absolutely insane to put any of the blame for a crime on the victim of said crime. You could never possibly keep everything I listed above in your head at any one time, and I’m sure there are helpful tips that I haven’t even thought of. It took me much longer to write this than someone would be able to think about this. A potential victim would have half a second, I had hours and couldn’t come up with everything. I actually thought of something moments before posting this. Seriously, it’s impossible to think of everything, but getting into the right mindset may improve your odds.

What Should Lyft / Uber Do?

Lyft and Uber can do more to make their vehicles easily identifiable. The dashboard light is great, but not all cars have them, and you can’t always see it before you get in. Every single car should have an app-synchronized color light up display, front and back. Stickers for the passenger windows should also be handed out to every driver. They’re already doing a good thing in the Lyft app, which shows the car and the driver’s photo (I don’t use Uber, so I couldn’t say what they’re doing). There’s a reason cabs are yellow and clearly marked, it’s so riders will know they can trust their driver. Lyft, Uber, and other ride sharing services need to do the same.

It’s impossible to stay perfectly safe out there, but I hope these tips help someone.