What to know
- A Canadian woman says she was targeted by a scammer posing as an Uber Eats worker who knew her exact order and asked for a verification code — a key tactic to gain account access.
- The red flag: she received a text from DoorDash despite ordering through Uber Eats; when she refused to share the code, the caller claimed to have cancelled her order, while the real driver was unaware.
- The incident, shared on TikTok, has sparked concern about “social engineering” scams targeting delivery users; Uber commented under the post that it’s reviewing the case, and police say they haven’t received similar reports.
A phone call from your ‘Uber Eats driver’ who knows your exact order may be routine, but one asking for a verification code is actually the latest scam targeting food delivery customers.
A Canadian woman named Cheryl shared her experience in a 3-minute TikTok video.
@drcherylthevet Uber Eats scam! Be aware. I am officially the generation that they are targeting now 😅😭 #doordashs #ubereats ♬ original sound – Dr. Cheryl | Veterinarian🇨🇦
In the video, she explained that shortly after ordering, she got a call from a 1-800 number.
The caller confirmed her meal and requested her number for a verification code. When Cheryl, who had used Uber Eats, received a DoorDash text, she grew suspicious, refused to share the code, and the caller cancelled her order.
Her driver delivered the order and was unaware of the call, leaving Cheryl unsettled and questioning whether the driver’s account had been compromised.
People commented under her video, with some relating to the scam and others noting clear signs.
One user asked, “How did they get your information in the first place?” Another commented, “Why confirm your phone number? This is the first red flag.”
“The same exact thing happened to me just two weeks ago and I got scammed for $270,” one user related.
Another user wrote, “This is social engineering. Don’t give out your PIN – ever. Ever. Ever.” Another criticized, “So Uber Eats doesn’t have a secure site. They need to fix that and upgrade their firewalls IMMEDIATELY. I will abstain from using Uber Eats until they announce they’ve fixed their issues.”
On April 10, Uber commented on the video. “Support Team here – Hi Cheryl, this is concerning to hear. We’d like to help and have escalated these details to a specialized team for further review.”
The creator replied to Uber’s comment just three days ago that they still haven’t done anything yet.
@drcherylthevet Uber Eats scam
♬ original sound – Dr. Cheryl | Veterinarian🇨🇦
Now Toronto reached out to Uber for a statement, but they haven’t replied by the time of publication.
This scam has not been reported to the Toronto Police Service either, according to a TPS spokesperson.
For those concerned about scams, review the fraud prevention tips on their website. Some tips include stopping communication with the scammer, not making any major financial decisions until your accounts are secured and changing your passwords.
