How to Avoid Fake Uber Drivers

A student was murdered recently after getting into a vehicle that she thought was her Uber ride, so this warning message has never been as imperative as it is right now.

It used to be the rule that you don't talk to strangers and you never get into a stranger's car, but along came Uber and all of that changed.

Besides making traveling convenient and bringing places together by affordability and ease of access, Uber is most definitely also a risk.

In 2017, Carla Westlund reported being sexually assaulted by a man she thought was her Uber driver. Luckily for her, she survived to tell the tale.

AlexaRae Wright claims she was raped twice on March 30 by her Uber driver in Boston, Massachusetts, and only managed to escape because her ringing phone distracted him.

A 21-year-old student in Columbia, South Carolina, Samantha Josephson, was recently found murdered after calling an Uber and mistakenly getting into someone else's car.

While the man, Nathaniel Rowland, was caught and will be charged with kidnapping and killing her, this heinous incident is not the first, nor will it be the last, according to experts.

Bad people have clearly spotted an opening and they are opportunistic sadists who will do anything once they have a single woman captive in their cars.

"Today" created a comprehensive list of things to do to avoid becoming a victim of an Uber imposter:

Always check the Uber app before getting into the car. The license plates must match and don't accept any excuses for why they don't.

• Check the driver's picture in the app against the person who has come to collect you. If you are unsure or feel uneasy, don't get into the car.
• Do not offer your name to the driver, let him tell you who he is there to collect.
• Single woman traveling alone should never get into the front passenger seat of the car. Stay in the back where you have personal space and the ability to escape through either side door should the need arise.
• Uber suggests sharing your trip details with a friend by tapping the share status on the Uber home screen as soon as your fare has begun.

Always remember, you may feel silly for taking precautions and you may even feel bad for distrusting the seemingly nice person who has come to fetch you, but silly and bad can save you from being dead.

Stay safe on the streets!