Simmons College Students Warned About Fake Uber Drivers After Incident
BOSTON (CBS) -- Those who use ride-sharing services are being reminded to make sure they are getting in the right vehicle after a fake Uber driver tried to pick up a local college student.
Simmons College sent an alert to students over the weekend after one of their female classmates was approached by a dark-colored vehicle on Brookline Avenue as she waited with a friend for her Uber ride Friday night. The man behind the wheel said he was an Uber driver, and told the student to get in.
The student did not get in, and decided to try and check the license plate against her confirmation before the car sped away, the school said.
The fake driver was described as a man in his mid-to-late 30s. The four-door vehicle, possibly a Honda, had the partial Massachusetts registration plate of 2MW.
In Simmons' advisory, the school tells students to travel and walk with others if possible, especially at night.
A spokesman for Uber tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030 that riders are encouraged to check the identity of the driver and vehicle, and there is a feature in the Uber app that allows that to be done.
Rebecca Walls, who is with the organization "Who's Driving You?" -- backed by the taxi and limo industry -- says it's clear more needs to be done to regulate ride-sharing services, like clearly marking vehicles
"These ride-shares aren't anything different than what a taxicab and limosine service is," Walls said. "They are a for-hire service, so they need to be held to the same standards."
A bill that would regulate ride-hailing services will be debated at the statehouse on Tuesday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports: