A young Australian woman has issued an urgent public safety warning after falling victim to a convincing fake Uber driver scam, paying nearly double the quoted fare for her journey home from the airport.
A Tired Traveller's Costly Mistake
Zanya Fletcher, 18, had just returned to Melbourne Airport at around 12pm on November 23 after celebrating Schoolies on the Gold Coast. Exhausted from her travels and having not slept since the previous day, she made her way to the designated ride-hail area to book a trip via the official Uber app.
As she was ordering, a man driving past called out to ask if she needed a lift. He insisted he was an Uber driver, despite his vehicle bearing no company logos or stickers. In her fatigued state, Ms Fletcher accepted and got into the car for the 30-minute journey to her house.
The Alarming Journey and Price Hike
During the ride, Ms Fletcher grew increasingly uneasy. The driver adjusted his rear-view mirror to look at her, asked personal questions about her parents' occupations, and made unwelcome comments about her being a "nice" girl. With her luggage locked in the boot, she felt she had no safe way to exit the vehicle.
The situation escalated upon arrival. The Uber app had originally quoted the trip at $60. However, the driver produced an EFTPOS machine and demanded $110. He claimed an extra $10 was for a toll road, which Ms Fletcher disputed as she had tracked their route on her maps and seen no tolls used.
"I told him that we didn't take the toll road and he said 'oh did we not?' so then he pulled $10 from my payment but somehow it still ended up costing $110," she recounted. After the payment dispute, the driver became rude and refused to help her remove her 24kg suitcase before speeding off.
A Widespread Warning for All Travellers
Ms Fletcher is now urging others to be extremely vigilant. "I just wanted to say, be careful when you're getting Ubers from Melbourne Airport - and just any airport in general," she said. "There's currently a scam going on regarding Ubers."
Her story resonated widely on social media, with many users sharing similar experiences:
- One person warned: "I'm an Uber driver. NEVER do that!! Always book."
- Another revealed: "This happened to me the first day I moved here... the total came to over $230."
- A third added: "That scam is everywhere," highlighting the pervasive nature of the fraud.
The key safety takeaways from this incident are clear:
- Always verify your driver through the official app before entering any vehicle.
- Legitimate Uber drivers will not ask for cash or card payments outside the app.
- Be wary of unsolicited offers for rides, especially in busy transport hubs.
- Keep your luggage accessible and trust your instincts if a situation feels "off".
This alarming event serves as a critical reminder for all passengers to prioritise their safety and use the formal booking and verification processes provided by ride-hailing platforms, particularly when tired or vulnerable after a long journey.
