A recent crime report to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station might be enough to shake the confidence of some in ride-sharing apps.
A Santa Clarita man reported an allegation of identity theft to the SCV Sheriff’s Station after he went to use his name to open a driver account and provide rides for Lyft and Uber and found out someone had beat him to the punch, according to a detective’s report.
The victim told detectives there was a picture of the driver who was attached to his name in an Uber account, but it wasn’t him. He identified the man to station officials as “a friend of a friend.”
According to a search-warrant affidavit, the detective sought the driver’s records from Uber, which would tell officials not only his whereabouts but his transaction history as well.
Detective Kelley Barnes, who is investigating the incident with the station’s Detective Bureau, was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
“Based on the above, I determined Uber and Lyft will have information to help identifying the persons(s) who used (the victim’s) personal identifying information,” Barnes wrote in her request to the judge for a search warrant.
An Uber spokesperson wrote in an email Tuesday the company takes safety as “a top priority,” and that all drivers and couriers are “required to provide the proper documentation in order to use the platform.”
Uber did not respond to the specific incident but did say officials were looking into it.
“Identity theft and fraud are devastating and complex issues that affect a wide range of businesses, organizations, and millions of people each year,” according to a statement sent via email Tuesday by Gabriela Condarco-Quesada, spokesperson from Uber’s Safety Communications department. “The methods of scamming and defrauding companies are constantly evolving, and at Uber we’re committed to investing in robust anti-fraud systems and detection capabilities to keep up with new and enhanced fraud techniques.”
The driver-verification method on its website details checking a car’s license plate number, but does not address driver identification.
“At Uber, safety is a top priority. We require users of certain products to verify their accounts or identities to enhance user safety and help prevent unauthorized account access,” according to information posted on its website. “At times, we may ask you to submit a document or take a selfie even if you already have a verification badge or have already submitted an ID.”
