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It appears Cancun’s endless struggle on scammers is intensifying as soon as extra after stories of faux Uber drivers focusing on vacationers in central areas began circulating. Now, authorities are urging them to be cautious when reserving rides by way of the favored app, as they may very well be extorted, and even put their lives in critical hazard.
This 12 months, Cancun has taken further steps to make sure guests really feel secure and revel in a stress-free trip within the metropolis, deploying extra police items to seashore hotspots and rising surveillance within the Hotel Zone, all of the whereas below the scrutiny of the mass media and the U.S. Government. Naturally, when precise safety considerations do come up, tourism officers react swiftly.
For now, you might need to rethink utilizing rideshare functions in Cancun, the place taxi scams have gotten increasingly common:
Scammers In Cancun Are Hacking Into The Uber Platform For Personal Gain
Following a number of stories on-line, together with a lot of TikTok movies the place vacationers declare to have fallen sufferer to scammers, the President of the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies confirmed those that use Uber in Mexico ‘could be in danger’, as the service stays poorly regulated throughout the nation, and criminals have been identified to function within the subject.
Mr. Eduardo Paniagua said ‘personal safety’ is endangered, making an allowance for Uber’s restricted attain within the Mexican Caribbean, attributed to the continued resistance of the regional taxi monopoly, has paved the best way for scammers to current themselves as drivers, particularly in latest months, when fares in Cancun and Tulum started spiraling uncontrolled.
At current, a lot of taxis are intentionally overcharging vacationers or working on inflated fares higher than Manhattan‘s, thus influencing tourists to seek other cheaper alternatives for moving around the zone. Ironically, they are resorting to unlicensed Ubers and putting themselves in danger as a result of the local taxis’ personal corrupt practices.
Is Lack Of Competition To Blame For The Phenomenon?
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In the phrases of Travel Noire, the battle between taxi unions, whose members want to stave off the competitors in any respect prices, and budget-friendly rideshare apps have led ‘hackers’ to clone Uber accounts for illicit functions. Cancun’s seashores often is the most secure (and cleanest) they’ve ever been, however street security is a totally different matter altogether.
Essentially, the aforementioned hackers are cracking into the WhatsApp account of licensed drivers and accessing the Uber database to prey on naive passengers. Travel Noire notes that, until a buyer acts fastidiously, they may very well be getting into an ‘unknown vehicle’ pushed by somebody who has not been inspected nor authorized by Uber.
Interestingly, the Government is but to stipulate a method to fight scammers, in stark distinction with its earlier, well-documented, and efficient actions to quash crime in vacationer spots, after a lot of gang-related shootings took the headlines by storm earlier this 12 months.
Comparatively, the shortage of competitors on the transportation entrance, and its subsequent results, are but to be addressed.
Americans Must Avoid Using Ridesharing Apps In Cancun
Customers are being urged to cancel an Uber journey instantly after realizing it may very well be a rip-off and reporting any dodgy accounts to the related authorities. Booking Ubers, basically, is now strongly discouraged, however in case they resolve to take their probabilities, American vacationers should watch out for some purple flags and preserve a excessive stage of situational consciousness.
A easy solution to spot a pretend Uber driver is to concentrate to pointless questioning. Drivers don’t have to ‘verify’ any of your private particulars aside from maybe confirming your identify, and to an extent, you need to by no means share your individual bank card particulars or different delicate info both in individual or on-line chats.
Additionally, checking the automotive plate and that the automotive matches the outline on the reserving is, after all, suggested. Until the state of Quintana Roo cracks down each on ill-intended drivers, and the loopholes left open amid the fierce opposition of taxi unions to exterior competitors, it’s greatest if you happen to follow hiring personal drivers or reserving transportation prematurely.
That is especially true arriving at Cancun Airport, the place vacationers should stroll by way of the infamous shark tank, or ‘gauntlet’, an arrival corridor lined with yelling drivers who will do something to seize your consideration, together with standing in your approach and snapping their fingers.
The greatest solution to keep away from feeling overwhelmed by this and brought benefit of is, once more, to organize transportation beforehand. Currently, because of resisting taxi drivers who rely closely on the ‘shark tank corridor’, there may be no Uber service leaving from Cancun Airport.
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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
