Woman masquerading as rideshare driver drugs men, steals wallets, Tennessee cops say

A woman pretending to be a rideshare driver is giving male customers drugged bottles of water and robbing them after they pass out, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department in Middle Tennessee.

The rides all end the same way — with wallets stolen and credit cards used “to buy thousands of dollars worth of gift cards,” police said in a news release.

“Nearly a dozen incidents have been reported over the last two years matching the woman’s description,” police said.

“Victims recall getting into what they believed was their rideshare where the female driver offered them a water bottle and they claim to have blacked out. All of the victims have reported waking up without their wallets.”

The victims later find their credit cards have been used at “Walmart, Kroger and Target to purchase large sums of gift cards,” police said.

“One victim said his phone was used to transfer money through Bitcoin and Cash App,” officials said.

Investigators did not release details of where victims awoke, or what type of drug might have been used.

The rideshare scheme takes advantage of the fact customers often do not know who to expect when booking rides.

Customers book the nearest rideshare driver via an app, such as Uber and Lyft, then wait for someone to show up, Ridester.com says.

Law enforcement and the rideshare companies have offered tips to help protect yourself from fraudulent rides, including double checking the license plate and driver’s name before getting in.

“Never get in a car where the vehicle or driver identity doesn’t match what’s displayed in your app,” Uber wrote on its website.

Multiple surveillance photos of the woman were shared by police, showing her shopping at stores where the credit cards were used.

Police ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Woman masquerading as rideshare driver drugs men, steals wallets, Tennessee cops say."