ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A News 6 investigation reveals that rideshare drivers in Central Florida are being used as money mules.
A money mule is someone who transfers money acquired illegally on behalf of someone else-often unknowingly.
An Orange County man stopped one such transaction in its tracks.
News 6 interviewed Alejandro Ulate in his home, and it’s clear his faith is his center.
“My faith? It’s basically air,” Ulate said.
“We’re trying to continue to put light into the world. Because sometimes it’s a dark world,” he added.
Ulate owns a transportation company and drives for Uber.
He had just finished one ride when he accepted another-and immediately got a message.
“The person sent me a message saying this is just a package, that there was no courier service available nearby. So I thought that was odd, but I go ahead and took the ride,” Ulate said.
When he arrived at the location, he says an elderly man, who looked afraid, approached him and handed him an envelope that was wrapped with tape and stuffed with something.
“I was feeling the package, I said this feels like money,” Ulate said.
He opened it and found $11,000 in cash.
“And (the elderly man)… points to his phone. I said, ‘You’re being scammed, I believe.’ He’s like, I think so, too,” Ulate said.
Ulate called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, which later told News 6 they’ve seen rideshare drivers used as money mules before.
“So what these scammers do is they’ll have the victims put money or valuables in a box or package, and then they’ll order an Uber driver,” Stephanie Earley, a spokesperson for the department, told News 6.
Just last month, News 6 reported how 80-year-old Patricia Toder lost nearly $150,000 when scammers tricked her into withdrawing cash and buying gold bars.
[BELOW: Lady Lake woman loses life savings in government impersonation scam]
They sent a driver to pick it up.
“Meanwhile, these Uber drivers have no idea that they’re even being involved in a scam,” Earley said. “Throughout our investigations, it has been revealed that scammers ordering Uber drivers often use stolen identities.
Making it nearly impossible for Uber to track who they are, Earley said.
News 6 contacted Uber, which sent a statement: “Uber is committed to the safety of our communities. Drivers can decline to deliver a package without penalty if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and we encourage them to report suspicious activity to law enforcement. We take fraud seriously and continue to invest in technology to help prevent, detect, and address it across our platform. Our dedicated Global Investigations Team investigates these types of incidents and may proactively refer them to law enforcement,” an Uber spokesperson wrote.
Ulate urges other drivers to look out for the elderly and vulnerable.
“Would you want your family to be scammed and have money stolen from them?” he asked.
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