Chicago Spring 2022 - A Matter Of Life & Death

Please read these articles:

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/12/armed-carjackers-target-west-loop-restaurant-valet-service-rideshare-driver-in-wicker-park.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/10/uber-driver-carjacked-while-waiting-for-her-passengers-in-lincoln-park.htmlps

Those are just two of the over ONE THOUSAND Uber & Lyft drivers in Chicago who have had their lives destroyed by criminals since Summer 2020.

YOU as a rider play a critical & direct role in preventing your next Uber & Lyft driver from being beaten, shot, robbed, carjacked, and even killed. Five Uber/Lyft drivers were murdered in Chicago in 2021, one female Uber driver was murdered in 2022, and four drivers were murdered in 2023.

How can YOU prevent it? 

 

Answer: by being ready to leave BEFORE requesting a trip/by being outside & ready to leave upon the arrival of your driver. 

Making your driver wait is putting their life in jeopardy here in Chicago. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop requesting a trip before you've paid your restaurant/bar bill, before you've taken the slow elevator in your building from the 39th floor, etc. Even a 30sec delay is enough time for these violent criminals to ambush your driver.

August 2021 Criminal Tries Scamming Chicago Uber Driver

Live video from August 20th, 2021 at 10:35PM of a Chicago Uber driver outsmarting a scammer who requested a ride at Clark St & North Ave for the sole purpose of tricking the driver into giving his Uber Driver login so the criminal could withdraw the driver's hard earned wages. 

 

 

 

Uber Rider Safety

In Chicago we have criminals targeting Uber/Lyft drivers & also riders with scams.:

https://cwbchicago.com/2025/10/tourist-robbed-at-gunpoint-after-getting-into-phony-rideshare-in-gold-coast.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2025/07/fake-rideshare-driver-is-sexually-women-in-gold-coast-near-north-side-cpd.html 

https://cwbchicago.com/2025/03/late-night-bar-goers-are-getting-robbed-while-waiting-for-lyft-uber-in-wrigleyville-gold-coast.html 

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/11/man-gets-7-years-for-stealing-identities-by-posing-as-a-ride-share-driver-outside-chicago-nightclubs.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/03/paroled-identity-thief-arrested-again-operating-as-a-fake-uber-driver-in-river-north.html  

https://cwbchicago.com/2022/06/fake-uber-driver-gets-45-years-for-raping-woman-he-lured-in-to-car-similar-cases-involving-4-other-women-are-pending.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/12/another-fake-uber-identity-thief-heads-to-prison-but-only-until-august.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/11/cops-found-credit-cards-belonging-to-32-people-in-fake-uber-drivers-car-authorities-say.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/10/fake-uber-driver-robs-man-at-gunpoint-in-old-town-police-say.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2021/04/man-on-parole-for-running-phony-uber-scam-is-charged-with-running-a-phony-uber-scam-again.html

https://patch.com/illinois/hinsdale/amazon-uber-scam-calls-dui-hinsdale-cops

 

Here's a few tips to avoid being scammed as a rider by criminals: 

• 1) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check that the license plate, car make & model, and driver photo on your rider app match who & what is picking you up. You need to confirm your name to your driver & your driver needs to confirm their name to you too. Uber's website even says to do so. If it doesn't match, call 911 & report it to Uber IMMEDIATELY.
  

 

 

 

• 2) NEVER NEVER NEVER give a driver your credit/debit card. EVERYTHING must be done ON THE APP (pick-up & drop-off locations, additional stops, payment, etc). If a driver asks to have anything off the app, exit the vehicle immediately & call 911. Once you're in a safe location, report it to Uber.
  

***Side note: A LOT of riders are confused about Uber/Lyft. Uber & Lyft are NOT taxis that can drive around anywhere & everywhere. Drivers are ONLY authorized to take passengers from pick-up to drop-off that is listed in the app. Any stop in between ALSO has to be ON THE APP. Asking a driver to make a stop that's not on the app makes them feel extremely uncomfortable & unsafe; and we are not covered by insurance if we get into an accident on the way to an unauthorized stop. So if you want additional stops add them on the app.***

 

• 3) Female riders, if you ever feel uncomfortable about your driver, especially if it's late night, here are three tiktok videos you can play loudly on your phone & interact with to pretend that you're talking to a "husband," "dad," or "female friend" & that they know you're in an Uber/Lyft & will be home soon. It may help you feel a little safer.
  

"Husband": https://www.tiktok.com/@budget_jasonstatham/video/6868008120170466565

"Dad":  https://www.tiktok.com/@budget_jasonstatham/video/6861764504636706053

"Female Friend": https://www.tiktok.com/@ambernicolettte/video/7096541697047366958

Winter 2021 Chicago Uber Driver Confronts Scammer

In addition to killing, raping, robbing, paralyzing, shooting, and carjacking Uber & Lyft drivers in Chicago; criminals are also trying to scam drivers out of their hard earned wages by trying to trick drivers into giving their account info so the thieves can change the driver's banking account info to withdraw the funds. Here's a live video from January 24th, 2021 at 2:50AM of a Chicago Uber driver confronting a scammer. *WARNING: very graphic language.

 

 

 

Halloween 2020 - Haunted Places in Chicago!

 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

Chicagoland is one of the most haunted areas in the United States. If you're in the spooky mood & ready for some real life Ghostbusters action this Halloween season, then click here for a list of the some of the most haunted places here.