ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A News 6 investigation reveals that rideshare drivers in Central Florida are being used as money mules.<\/p>\n
A money mule is someone who transfers money acquired illegally on behalf of someone else-often unknowingly.<\/p>\n
An Orange County man stopped one such transaction in its tracks.<\/p>\n
News 6 interviewed Alejandro Ulate in his home, and it\u2019s clear his faith is his center.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy faith? It\u2019s basically air,\u201d Ulate said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to continue to put light into the world. Because sometimes it\u2019s a dark world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Ulate owns a transportation company and drives for Uber.<\/p>\n
He had just finished one ride when he accepted another-and immediately got a message.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d Ulate said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was feeling the package, I said this feels like money,\u201d Ulate said.<\/p>\n
He opened it and found $11,000 in cash.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd (the elderly man)… points to his phone. I said, \u2018You\u2019re being scammed, I believe.\u2019 He\u2019s like, I think so, too,\u201d Ulate said.<\/p>\n
Ulate called the Lake County Sheriff\u2019s Office, which later told News 6 they\u2019ve seen rideshare drivers used as money mules before.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what these scammers do is they\u2019ll have the victims put money or valuables in a box or package, and then they\u2019ll order an Uber driver,\u201d Stephanie Earley, a spokesperson for the department, told News 6.<\/p>\n