What to Know About the Uber Text Message Scam

The methods that fraudsters use to try to acquire a target’s personal information are constantly evolving, and unfortunately Uber has become another platform for potential scams.

Individuals have reported receiving unsolicited text messages that claim to be from the ride-sharing app. Unfortunately, if you’ve ever received an unexpected text like this that includes a link or code, you might be dealing with a scam. 

Learn to spot text scams and stop them, so you can keep your personal information safe. 

The use of spam texts and their methods

If you’ve received a text message from Uber but it’s unexpected, there could be a few reasons. While it could be something as simple as a misdialed number, it could also be an occurrence of fraud on your Uber account, or you are a target of a potential scam.

Spam texts are a method scammers use to gain access to a recipient’s personal information, and they’re designed to manipulate you into providing details, such as your name, your address, or your credit card and social security numbers.

While they vary in nature, these texts often look official. They might request your information in exchange for something—such as a prize giveaway or a package delivery—or simply try to persuade you into clicking a malicious link that could compromise your online security. 

Learn to spot a text scam 

The goal of a text scam is to get your information, so it might allude to information verification. For instance, a message might inform recipients they’ve won a prize or have a package delivery, and request home address or bank account confirmation in exchange.  

Other telltale signs that you might be dealing with a scam text include:

• The text contains various errors and typos.
• The message includes any link that you find unusual or don’t recognize.
• It’s a message sent from an unknown number.

In the case of this particular text scam, the official-looking message appears to be from Uber. It includes a four-digit code, and even asks you to reply “STOP” to opt out. 

Remember, Uber will only send you a text message with a verification code if you’re registering with the app for the first time, or if you’ve signed into the Uber app on a new device.

What Uber is doing about these spam texts

Uber is aware of the misuse of their platform to gain access to customer information. As a result, the company has provided online guides to help address the issue.

Also, Uber reminds customers of the following:

“We will never call, text, or email you to request your password, verification code, or banking details, so be cautious of anybody contacting you this way and asking for this information.”

How to stop spam texts from Uber

Most importantly, if you receive a suspicious text claiming to be from Uber, do not reply, click any links, or do anything it prompts you to do. In fact, it’s best not to open it at all.

Next, take measures to limit the spam sent to your number. Both iPhones and Androids have built-in filters to recognize potential spam, including text spam and robocalls. 

For iPhones, you can turn on the spam filter by doing the following:

• Access your phone “Settings”
• Go to “Messages”
• Click “Filter Unknown Senders”

For an Android phone, take these steps to activate your spam filter: 

• Go to “Settings” 
• Click “Spam Protection” 
• Toggle on “Enable Spam Protection”

For more information, don’t forget to read our guide on stopping spam texts and get a full rundown of all your available options.

How to report spam texts to Uber 

If you suspect you’ve been the victim of a text scam, contact Uber Support to make sure your account hasn’t been compromised—call​​ 1-800-593-7069.

You can also report the text by forwarding it to 7726. This sends the text to your service provider, who can take relevant action to investigate the issue. 

In addition, you can report texts directly in your phone messaging app. For example, on an iPhone, simply press and hold the message and select “Block” or “Report.”

You should also report the spam text message to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) here.

What else you can do to stop spam texts as an Uber customer

If you want to make sure your Uber account and personal information is more secure, then you have a few actions you can take. 

First of all, update your Uber app. The platform regularly integrates in-app updates that can provide additional security as well as address technical issues. 

As an added precaution, consider changing your passwords. Your cell number might be easy to access online. With so many apps associated with it, it’s worth securing all your accounts. 

How to address the real cause of spam texts

While scammers use a lot of obvious methods like spam texts to obtain your information, sometimes they acquire it through the use of data brokers. These sites collect and sell online personal information, often to the highest bidders.

Regrettably, this practice is completely legal, and the information can fall into the wrong hands. 

If you want to protect your online personal information, it’s vital you remove your data from data-broker sites before scammers can get their hands on it. But, with over 500 data brokers operating in the U.S., each with a separate opt-out process, it’s not easy to do.

However, you can hire a data broker-removal service to do all that hard work for you. 

DeleteMe is the market leader when it comes to quick and efficient data-broker removal. For just $10.75 a month, you can breathe easy knowing your personal data has been secured and DeleteMe is hard at work for you to prevent any further potential scams.
Find out more about how DeleteMe can help you and secure your data now.