?11 Uber Fraud Detection in 2018?
Last Updated on January 9, 2018 by Rideshare Community Support
Community Concern: ★:Some of Uber Riders/Drivers Fraud Detection:★
This year the Uber system, customer service reps, and special trained agents are pretty good at detecting fraudulent activity from both riders and drivers. Uber stated that their intentions are not to make anybody feel uncomfortable or nervous using their platform. They simply want you to think before involving yourself in such activities and report any suspicion you might have both riders and drivers. Before we jump into the fraud detection lets look at the meaning of fraud to Uber and who fights fraud within the organization.
What Is Uber Fraud?
Fraud on the Uber platform is mainly when a rider is involved in some sort of credit card or promotion wrongful or criminal activities and drivers who try to increase their income by taking fake trips. Certainly, there are other things that would fall under the fraud category, but these are the ones Uber seem to come across the most.
The Team Uber Has in Place To Combat Fraud
Machine Learning – Study and monitor fraudulent behavior. These people design software and design systems within Uber that are incentive compatible.
Data Engineer – This team makes sure that the large amount of data collected and handed down is accurate and consistent. Some of them work directly with financial analysts, product managers and security investigators. They also help build some of the Uber data processing systems.
Data Scientist – The scientists that work on this team deals with rider and driver metrics. Looking for common and uncommon fraudulent traits on a large scale and develop models for identifying this fraud.
Solutions Specialist – This team works with the business fraud side of things. Like chargebacks and refunds.
Risk Management Analyst – These agents mostly are looking through accounts and collected data. The skills of this team can have a mega financial impact on Uber. It’s their job to flag the abnormal. They look at data and fraud-like behavior pattern as far back as 30 days and beyond most of the time.
UX Experts – Work globally building applications and tools that will prevent fraudulent activities.
The data and machine learning experts works together to build systems to detect unusual patterns with real-time & live data and metrics. The engineers can design online analytics software and pipelines that is capable of processing data fast. Solutions specialists will locate the best philosophy for diffusing a genuine risk, attacks, and threats on the Uber platform.
Uber Fraud Detection
Top activities the ride share giant can detect
- Rider Promo Fraud: The most common fraudulent activity that Uber is able to pickup on is when riders create multiple accounts just so they can take free rides under the first time promo code. This type of fraud normally will get you banned for life.
How can Uber detect the fake accounts? Well for one, their security system is setup to detect accounts that have signed up with the same device and payment method. Therefore, unless you have 10+ different devices and 10+ different acceptable payment methods, you will likely get caught sooner than later.
But, even if someone did have different devices and payment methods; in 2017 the systems are more sophisticated watching other data metrics and behavior that will pick-up on the fraud almost instantaneously.
2. Chargebacks: This normally happens when a rider decide to contact their bank and reverse a charge for no real reason. Simply just because they think this is a way to get a free ride.
Uber will disable your account and you must show your ID and credit card, plus pay the chargeback before you are able to use the app again. If you have a problem with a fare it’s best to contact Uber first and see if you can resolve it.
3. Credit and Refund Abuse: If you are a rider who writes in on almost every trip requesting a refund or credit for every little thing, you will be kicked off the Uber platform.
4. Underage: This is really not fraud. But, normally you will get caught if you are under 18 using the Uber app. Most of the time it’s the driver or parent who will report you to Uber. If you can show your ID in the same name as your Uber account proving your are in fact of age, then you will keep your account. Please don’t try setting up a new account under a different name, it will be banned also.
5. Excessive Cancellations: If you are a bitter person or competitor who like to request drivers only to cancel them with no real intentions on using the service. Uber can detect this sour behavior and you will be banned.
»Uber Driver Fraud Detection:
6. Taking Rides With Self: If you are a driver who have created multiple rider accounts under the first time promo only to request yourself from those accounts and ride with yourself so you can get paid for nothing or boost your rating, you will be deactivated fast! It might work for a short time, but Uber normally can pickup on this rather quickly.
7. Fake Cleaning Fees – If you are using fake pictures and blaming riders for messes they didn’t make, Uber will stop paying you out any cleaning fees. Because you can’t be trusted.
8. Letting Someone Else Drive: If you let someone else drive under your account, Uber will deactivate you.
9. Fake Documents: If you think you can forge or Photoshop your documents to drive, you can forget it. Some drivers have tried to get away with fake insurance documents. Uber has an entire team dedicated to processing and verifying insurance documents.
10. Claiming Up-charges: If you are falsely claiming vehicle up-charge against riders. You tell Uber the rider had a party of 5 so you can get paid more, when only it was 2 riders. Uber will stop paying you any up-charges and eventually deactivate your account. Because you cannot be trusted.
11. ☛ Talking smack about Uber: If Uber catches you (a driver) bad mouthing the company, you might just be deactivated on the spot. Normally without warning. Driver are mostly caught because they take their issues to social media.
This is a big no-no. And never talk dirty about Uber to your riders. They will leave feedback and let Uber know! Yes, Uber reads all feedback good and bad so if they notice a pattern of a driver lip smacking about them, don’t be surprised if they or you are dropped form the platform like a hot pocket.
We added a 12th one!
12. Soliciting Business: Riders or drivers should not be pre-arranging rides outside of the Uber platform. Drivers should not be giving riders their personal number in order for them to call them when they need a ride. When drivers and riders engage in pre-arranged trips they are opening their self up to possibly more harm than good. For one, think about your safety.
Riders and drivers should report to Uber if they are asked to do such transactions outside of the platform.
Page Updated: 1/14/2018
Uber Fraud Detection