R25,000 to take a fake Uber from a major airport in South Africa

Kosmik said:
I don't use Uber myself but when you order a Uber, doesn't it show you driver information and car?

Why would you go with some random who claims they're Uber? Sure maybe a taxi or some other claim but if a service offers identification, use it.
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Because people would rather comply, than be embarrassed.
 
The security at Cape Town Intl. is very lax with these guys. At OR Tambo, police and security are incredibly strict with them, while at Cape Town, from domestic arrivals, you start getting harassed by them, all the way through to the pick up point. I've even seen them inside baggage collection trying to convince people to go with them.

Security is completely uninterested in solving this problem. ACSA knows of the problem but chooses to do nothing about it
 
Scooby_Doo said:
It would literally be trivial to have a couple undercover security/cops walk out of customs and towards the exits. Identify every single one that propositions themselves as "uber".

I literally get ask "Uber?" 4 or 5 times as you walk through the airport and towards the ehailing pick up areas.
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This 100% - every time I've landed in CT for the past 10ish years and been heckled by these guys shouting "Uber!" in the corridor after baggage claim, I have exactly the same thought.

While the scale of the overcharging may have only recently exploded, authorities avoiding the trivial solution after this many years of exactly the same issue feels like wilful negligence.
 
Dean said:
This 100% - every time I land in CT and get heckled by these guys shouting "Uber!" in the corridor after baggage claim, I have exactly the same thought.

While the scale of the overcharging may have only recently exploded, authorities avoiding the trivial solution after this many years of exactly the same issue seems like wilful negligence at this point.
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I wonder if CPT gets the powers to complete investigations with the metro police that they might have the authority to do something here.

I assume SAPS are the only persons with the authority to do a "sting" like this and we all know how well they are doing with investigators having to use their personal devices for police work.
 
Scooby_Doo said:
I wonder if CPT gets the powers to complete investigations with the metro police that they might have the authority to do something here.

I assume SAPS are the only persons with the authority to do a "sting" like this and we all know how well they are doing with investigators having to use their personal devices for police work.
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Am curious about this too.
Even after getting investigative powers, the metro jurisdiction question might be more complicated with it being a national port.
 
Tim_vb said:
how are the card processors allowing this to continue?these should all be charged back and even if they fail the merchant should be flagged
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chargebacks only get processed if the cardholders report it, if they choose to moan on facebook instead then nothing will happen

I've had this exact scam done to me in Moscow, and did a chargeback, my cab ride went from being overpriced to being free of charge :cool:
 
Is that how Uber operates overseas? If no, how the hell do you just step into a random car thinking its Uber?
 
Ninja'd said:
Is that how Uber operates overseas? If no, how the hell do you just step into a random car thinking its Uber?
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they have the car covered in proper Uber (or Bolt or whatever) colors and logo to look legit and you do in fact get branded cars like this overseas and locally

after a 12+ hour flight most people aren't at their sharpest, but how the scammers overseas got me was due to the circumstances, perhaps tourists landing here have something similar:

- Uber app not installed / activated before getting on the plane e.g. maybe back home they never use Uber, in my case it was all sorted, but the app didn't work in the country I arrived in and I had to install a different app

- then with app activation and card details getting loaded there's multiple activation SMS etc that will go to your home SIM if you've used Uber before, so if you bought a local SIM you need to switch back and forth unless your phone has dual SIM capability

- then for good measure your bank will sometimes block a foreign transaction when you just landed in a new country, so your previously working Uber setup stops working

in amongst dealing with all that kak after a long flight when you're in a foreign country and just want to get to your damn accommodation it can become rather tempting when someone is standing right in front of you offering to solve your problem
 
Kornhub said:
You have a million cops waiting outside OR Tambo to fine people for anything for example yet they can't stop these guys at airports?
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Those fat lazy things that are always ready to take a bribe?
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
they have the car covered in proper Uber (or Bolt or whatever) colors and logo to look legit and you do in fact get branded cars like this overseas and locally

after a 12+ hour flight most people aren't at their sharpest, but how the scammers overseas got me was due to the circumstances, perhaps tourists landing here have something similar:

- Uber app not installed / activated before getting on the plane e.g. maybe back home they never use Uber, in my case it was all sorted, but the app didn't work in the country I arrived in and I had to install a different app

- then with app activation and card details getting loaded there's multiple activation SMS etc that will go to your home SIM if you've used Uber before, so if you bought a local SIM you need to switch back and forth unless your phone has dual SIM capability

- then for good measure your bank will sometimes block a foreign transaction when you just landed in a new country, so your previously working Uber setup stops working

in amongst dealing with all that kak after a long flight when you're in a foreign country and just want to get to your damn accommodation it can become rather tempting when someone is standing right in front of you offering to solve your problem
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Plus they love to start taking your luggage for you and guiding you and then it's tickets. Unless you're from a city where you need to be vigilant I can see how it could happen to tourists.

Yeah, probably need to kick them out, but SA isn't the first place to scam tourists.
 
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