Financial Wellness
How To Avoid Ride Share Scams
Whether you are riding with Uber, Lyft, Via, or any of the other ride share options, the most important first step you can take to ensure your ride is seamless and safe is to make sure you enter the right vehicle. Before your ride arrives, these apps give you the details you need to ensure you enter the right car. They should tell you the vehicle make and model, the first name of the driver, show you a photo of them, and give you the vehicle license plate number.
When your driver arrives, politely ask for their name, and then double-check it matches the one in the app.
Make sure the make and model of the car and the license plate matches the information provided on the app. If any of the observed details do not match those on the app, it's best not to get in the car.
Once you're in, your driver should never ask you to pay in cash. If they do, politely ask to exit the vehicle and then call 911. If the driver refuses to allow you to exit the vehicle, don't hesitate to call 911.
It's important to keep your address private, and you may not want to share this information with others. Instead of being dropped off directly in front of your apartment, house or dorm, select a drop-off location close by.
Usually, after you leave the car, your payment will be immediately processed. If you notice a surprise cleaning fee charge ($100-$300) for no legitimate reason (you did not make a mess or vomit in the vehicle), immediately go to the company's website, select the trip in question and select the help section. There you will find a link titled "Dispute Cleaning Fees." Click this link and dispute the charge.
You should also contact us and dispute any charges if the fee is applied to your Tower debit or credit card.
If you find any unauthorized charges on your Tower card statement, let us know right away as well as your local law enforcement agency.
For unauthorized purchases made through Uber, follow these instructions on their help page. Uber will refund the amount for each unauthorized trip and provide you with information linked to the unauthorized transactions, such as the phone number and email associated with the account as well as where those trips started and ended.
For unauthorized purchases made through Lyft, follow these instructions on their help page.
