RIDEGURU
I heard they are trying to crack down on it.
I did see this thread as an example of how they are starting to deactivate drivers and stopped paying cleaning fees. How are they catching these drivers and settling the disputes?
How is Uber fighting back against Cleaning Fees Scams?
JimHemlock
141
Rider
Posted 6 years, 3 months ago
Posted In
Rideshare Scams
Discuss known or suspected scams in the rideshare industry. Share your experience here.
Posted By
JimHemlock
141
Rider
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SmittenKitten
2098
Rider
Uber and Lyft both analyze the photo you submit, by putting them through an automated scan. They supposedly check for various properties of the photo to look for inconsistencies and associate a credibility score to it. They check for information such as when the photo was taken, what camera was used, etc. (more on that later)
Before you ask what exactly Uber checks (which no one except Uber knows), let me interest you on something you probably didn't know.
Your images that you take on your smartphones or digita cameras store various properties in its metadata. There are many fields that you probably didn't know you were sharing when you send your files around.
Are you scared yet?
Yeah, you should be scared because this applies to any photo you share with anyone. (but since this is a ridesahre forum, I should stick to what Uber cares about.)
I was going to post a full list of metadata properties that you can identify, but that's a pretty lengthy list. I will pickup a few things below:
- Timestamp
- Date Created/Date Modified (If different, the image was "editted")
- GPS Location, such as lat/long and even altitude.
- What camera or smartphone was used
- Flash on/off
- Exposure
- Camera Lens
- Resolution, etc.
So how do they verify?
Since I don't work for Uber, I don't know exactly what they check. However, if I were one of their engineers, and I had to catch crooks, I would look for the following:
- Was the photo taken on a different day then when the rider occured?
- Was the photo ever modified or editted?
- Was the photo taken on a different smartphone than the one driver uses? If so, why?
- Does the photo match up with any other photos submitted by other passengers?
- Does the photo match up with the car that the driver drives?
Why so secretive about this process?
Well, it's because none of these things will *prove* that the photo is not authentic or that the incident didn't happen. If the file was modified or if the pic was taken by a different camera than the smartphone the driver conveniently had in his hand, you would start to doubt the authenticity.
This is why Uber won't tell you exactly why you are being denied the cleaning fees or that you don't have credibility.
I hope I have adequatey answers how Uber *must* be fighting back against this cleaning fees fraud. They do it because they can, and it isn't that hard.
Comments
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Uber and Lyft both analyze the photo you submit, by putting them through an automated scan. They supposedly check for various properties of the photo to look for inconsistencies and associate a credibility score to it. They check for information such as when the photo was taken, what camera was used, etc. (more on that later)
Before you ask what exactly Uber checks (which no one except Uber knows), let me interest you on something you probably didn't know.
Your images that you take on your smartphones or digita cameras store various properties in its metadata. There are many fields that you probably didn't know you were sharing when you send your files around.
![]()
Are you scared yet?
Yeah, you should be scared because this applies to any photo you share with anyone. (but since this is a ridesahre forum, I should stick to what Uber cares about.)
I was going to post a full list of metadata properties that you can identify, but that's a pretty lengthy list. I w…
Uber and Lyft both analyze the photo you submit, by putting them through an automated scan. They supposedly check for various properties of the photo to look for inconsistencies and associate a credibility score to it. They check for information such as when the photo was taken, what camera was used, etc. (more on that later)
Before you ask what exactly Uber checks (which no one except Uber knows), let me interest you on something you probably didn't know.
Your images that you take on your smartphones or digita cameras store various properties in its metadata. There are many fields that you probably didn't know you were sharing when you send your files around.
![]()
Are you scared yet?
Yeah, you should be scared because this applies to any photo you share with anyone. (but since this is a ridesahre forum, I should stick to what Uber cares about.)
I was going to post a full list of metadata properties that you can identify, but that's a pretty lengthy list. I will pickup a few things below:
- Timestamp
- Date Created/Date Modified (If different, the image was "editted")
- GPS Location, such as lat/long and even altitude.
- What camera or smartphone was used
- Flash on/off
- Exposure
- Camera Lens
- Resolution, etc.
So how do they verify?
Since I don't work for Uber, I don't know exactly what they check. However, if I were one of their engineers, and I had to catch crooks, I would look for the following:
- Was the photo taken on a different day then when the rider occured?
- Was the photo ever modified or editted?
- Was the photo taken on a different smartphone than the one driver uses? If so, why?
- Does the photo match up with any other photos submitted by other passengers?
- Does the photo match up with the car that the driver drives?
Why so secretive about this process?
Well, it's because none of these things will *prove* that the photo is not authentic or that the incident didn't happen. If the file was modified or if the pic was taken by a different camera than the smartphone the driver conveniently had in his hand, you would start to doubt the authenticity.
This is why Uber won't tell you exactly why you are being denied the cleaning fees or that you don't have credibility.
I hope I have adequatey answers how Uber *must* be fighting back against this cleaning fees fraud. They do it because they can, and it isn't that hard.
Show Hide 2 Replies -
Yes, they are starting to crack down on this. We are hearing more and more drivers being deactivated for filing too many cleaning fees. Perhaps for filing bogus claims
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One of my buddies says he got a notice that he was claiming too many cleaning fees and Uber wasn't going to let him file anymore. I had never heard of this before but apparently it is now a thing. Careful with your cleaning fees peeps.
Show Hide 3 Replies-
The thing is... what is there to be "careful" about? I will make my claims when my car is damaged. Plain and simple.
I suppose this new enforcement may be an incentive to TRY to avoid those situations. Like carrying a puke bag. I have gotten lazy about that. People somehow kept stealing mine, and I eventually stopped stocking it.
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No, it's to STOP those drivers that have been turning in the same photo, every weekend, to collect the $150-$200 fee over and over again. It has happened to MANY of my Uber customers. Lyft used to have better drivers, but now even they are starting to pull it. It's sad that it only takes a few to ruin it for all of us, as well as have customers paint us all with the same brush. I carry Barf Bags ALWAYS (college town), the only fees I have had to collect are when they choose to use the window instead of the bag.
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I just realized I was picked as the lucky victim for this scam because the Uber driver picked me up from a restaurant and dropped me off at a restaurant. I was meeting someone but I went to the wrong location. The Uber driver can lie and say I spilled food in their car since they picked me up from a restaurant. Liars! Smh
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None of the verification rules make sense. If Uber drivers are using this claim to get more money; then they are planning to do this. All they have to do is keep a bottle of some liquid in the car, so that when the victim gets out of the car at the end of a ride, they reach for the bottle of liquid and poor on the back seat, snap a picture and file a claim. How simple lying can be! They are probably making the mess themselves some where in the car that does not impact the next upcoming rides that they pick up people. So they not going to put the mess in their own car on the seat where other riders would sit, etc. Or they are filing claims on their last ride for the day. Uber just lost a customer. Smh.
