Minnesota Rideshare Driver Warns of Dangerous, Elaborate Scam Involving Fake Pickups

Rochester, MN (MinnesotaNow)-- Scammers may be using unsuspecting rideshare drivers to threaten victims into handing over money, according to a warning from a local driver.

A Rochester rideshare driver is sounding the alarm about a disturbing scam tactic that he claims is playing out in southeast Minnesota, one that could put both drivers and scam victims in serious danger.

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Isaac Sindt, a Lyft driver operating in Rochester, shared his experience in a community forum on Facebook and an interview with us. Sindt says scammers are using rideshare platforms like Uber or Lyft to send drivers to homes under false pretenses. Victims are told, often through aggressive or threatening phone calls, that the person arriving is an agent or criminal enforcer sent to arrest or harm them unless they pay a fee. Meanwhile, the rideshare driver believes they’re completing a routine pickup or delivery.

“This has happened twice this week to me, which means it’s probably happening to a lot more drivers and scam victims in this city,” Sindt wrote. He urged people to talk with older family members who may be more vulnerable to such scams. “Please be safe, please inform any elders in your life about these kinds of scams. For their safety and ours.”

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What a Rochester Driver Says a Rideshare Scam Looks Like on Their End

Sindt says the two scam attempts he has encountered in the past week both happened in Northwest Rochester. He says he did not file a police report but notified Lyft, which told him the company would investigate.

According to Sindt, here’s how the scam works from a driver’s point of view:

Variation 1: A request comes in for a long ride (2+ hours), which drivers are less likely to cancel. Once accepted, the "rider" texts through the app and instructs the driver to call a number outside the platform. On the call, the person claims it’s not a passenger pickup, but rather a rush delivery of legal documents. The driver is told someone inside the home is printing the documents, and they’ll need to wait 10 minutes to retrieve them.

“People don’t pay $300–$400 for document delivery, they use email or fax,” Sindt told us. “The call was very obviously a call center if you listened to the background noise," he said. The "rider" refused to use the in-app calling, which was another red flag for Sindt.

Variation 2: The scammer says they need to deliver a package and will offer a big tip. They just need the driver to move it to a "safe location" and mark the ride as complete. While some rideshare users try to send packages this way, Sindt says Uber and Lyft do not offer package delivery in Rochester, and drivers are told not to accept these kinds of jobs.

Sindt says that when this happened to him, he quickly realized what was happening and ended the ride before any interaction with other potential victims.

How the Rideshare Scam Works For People Being Contacted

These scams usually begin with a phone call. The caller pretends to be a government official, law enforcement officer, or even a relative in trouble. Victims are pressured into believing they must send money immediately to avoid jail time, deportation, or other serious consequences.

The twist comes when scammers arrange for a rideshare driver, who is completely unaware of the scam, to show up at the victim’s home to collect a "package" or transport the individual. The goal is to make the threat feel real, physical, and urgent.

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“Basically, what the criminal is doing is taking advantage of our human nature," said psychology professor Anthony Pratkanis in a 2024 interview.  "You're in a panic state, high emotional arousal. It's a fear appeal. And the best way to get rid of that fear is to give the criminal that money.”

While the Rochester Police Department says they are not familiar with this specific type of scam and they have not had any reports of it taking place in Rochester, similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in the United States with tragic consequences.

A Nationally Recognized Rideshare Scam

In April 2024, an Uber driver in Ohio was fatally shot by an elderly man who believed she was part of a scam demanding $12,000 in bond money. The driver, 61-year-old Lo-Letha Hall, had unknowingly been summoned to the man’s home by fraudsters. Authorities later confirmed she had no connection to the scam and was an innocent victim.

Similar cases have also been reported in Florida, where rideshare drivers were used to pick up large sums of cash from scam victims. In 2021, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office warned residents about a wave of “grandparent scams” in which victims, typically senior citizens, were coerced into handing over thousands of dollars to strangers posing as law enforcement or attorneys.

In those cases, scammers sometimes arranged for an Uber driver to collect the money.

What You Should Do to Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Rideshare Scam

If someone calls claiming to be a government agent, threatens you, or says a family member is in legal trouble, slow down. Do not provide personal or financial information. Call a trusted friend or family member, and the police, before taking any action.

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft say they will work with law enforcement to help identify accounts involved in fraud. Neither company condones the use of their platforms for scams, and drivers are encouraged to report any suspicious activity.

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or used as part of this kind of scam in Rochester should contact local law enforcement.

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