Cancun Authorities Warn Tourists Of New Fake Uber Scam That Could Put Them In Danger

Last Updated 48 minutes in the past

It appears Cancun’s unending warfare on scammers is intensifying as soon as extra after studies of faux Uber drivers concentrating on vacationers in central areas began circulating. Now, authorities are urging them to be cautious when reserving rides by means of the favored app, as they could possibly be extorted, and even put their lives in critical hazard.

Young Female Traveler Looking Surprised Or Shocked Looking At Her Phone Waiting For Taxi To Arrive

This yr, Cancun has taken further steps to make sure guests really feel protected and luxuriate in a stress-free trip within the metropolis, deploying extra police items to seashore hotspots and growing surveillance within the Hotel Zone, all of the whereas below the scrutiny of the mass media and the U.S. Government. Naturally, when precise safety issues do come up, tourism officers react swiftly.

For now, chances are you’ll wish to rethink utilizing rideshare functions in Cancun, the place taxi scams have gotten increasingly common:

Scammers In Cancun Are Hacking Into The Uber Platform For Personal Gain

Young Man Using His Phone As He Waits For A Taxi

Following a number of studies on-line, together with quite a lot of TikTok movies the place vacationers declare to have fallen sufferer to scammers, the President of the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies confirmed those that use Uber in Mexico ‘could be in danger’, as the service stays poorly regulated throughout the nation, and criminals have been recognized to function within the discipline.

Mr. Eduardo Paniagua acknowledged ‘personal safety’ is endangered, considering Uber’s restricted attain within the Mexican Caribbean, attributed to the continued resistance of the regional taxi monopoly, has paved the way in which for scammers to current themselves as drivers, particularly in latest months, when fares in Cancun and Tulum started spiraling uncontrolled.

External Area Of Cancun Airport With Authorized Taxis Sign, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

At current, numerous taxis are intentionally overcharging vacationers or working on inflated fares higher than Manhattan‘s, thus influencing tourists to seek other cheaper alternatives for moving around the zone. Ironically, they are resorting to unlicensed Ubers and putting themselves in danger as a result of the local taxis’ personal corrupt practices.

Is Lack Of Competition To Blame For The Phenomenon?

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Exterior Area Of Cancun Airport, Terminal 4, Cancun, Mexico

In the phrases of Travel Noire, the battle between taxi unions, whose members want to stave off the competitors in any respect prices, and budget-friendly rideshare apps have led ‘hackers’ to clone Uber accounts for illicit functions. Cancun’s seashores stands out as the most secure (and cleanest) they’ve ever been, however highway security is a totally different matter altogether.

Essentially, the aforementioned hackers are cracking into the WhatsApp account of licensed drivers and accessing the Uber database to prey on naive passengers. Travel Noire notes that, except a buyer acts rigorously, they could possibly be getting into an ‘unknown vehicle’ pushed by somebody who has not been inspected nor accepted by Uber.

Solo Male Traveler Getting Into A Taxi Or Uber Car As Driver Opens Door For Him, Uber Concept Image

Interestingly, the Government is but to stipulate a technique to fight scammers, in stark distinction with its earlier, well-documented, and efficient actions to quash crime in vacationer spots, after quite a lot of gang-related shootings took the headlines by storm earlier this yr.

Comparatively, the shortage of competitors on the transportation entrance, and its subsequent results, are but to be addressed.

Americans Must Avoid Using Ridesharing Apps In Cancun

Cancun Airport, Shuttle Area, Cancun, Mexico

Customers are being urged to cancel an Uber experience instantly after realizing it could possibly be a rip-off and reporting any dodgy accounts to the related authorities. Booking Ubers, on the whole, is now strongly discouraged, however in case they resolve to take their possibilities, American vacationers should watch out for some pink flags and hold a excessive degree of situational consciousness.

A easy strategy to spot a pretend Uber driver is to concentrate to pointless questioning. Drivers don’t have to ‘verify’ any of your private particulars apart from maybe confirming your title, and to an extent, it’s best to by no means share your personal bank card particulars or different delicate data both in individual or on-line chats.

Traveler Checking The Uber App During A Uber Ride, Uber Concept Image

Additionally, checking the automotive plate and that the automotive matches the outline on the reserving is, in fact, suggested. Until the state of Quintana Roo cracks down each on ill-intended drivers, and the loopholes left open amid the fierce opposition of taxi unions to exterior competitors, it’s finest in case you keep on with hiring non-public drivers or reserving transportation upfront.

That is especially true arriving at Cancun Airport, the place vacationers should stroll by means of the infamous shark tank, or ‘gauntlet’, an arrival corridor lined with yelling drivers who will do something to seize your consideration, together with standing in your manner and snapping their fingers.

Passengers Pictured Outside The Cancun Airport International Terminal, Cancun, Mexico

The finest strategy to keep away from feeling overwhelmed by this and brought benefit of is, once more, to organize transportation beforehand. Currently, because of resisting taxi drivers who rely closely on the ‘shark tank corridor’, there’s no Uber service leaving from Cancun Airport.

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