Criminals are using ridesharing to kidnap children – a worrying trend identified by the FBI.
The bureau made a public statement last month saying that “criminal actors” are using ridesharing because there is “lower likelihood of detection and ease of relief.”
Although such incidents were rare, the FBI issued a warning about the “high impact” of the crimes.
The bureau has also identified the pandemic as a time when there has been a surge in cases like this, reports The Hill.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement agencies have received multiple reports of ridesharing services being used to facilitate child abductions,” the FBI said.
Victims of the attempted kidnappings have since spoken out about the worrying impact it is having on them.
“It affected my school life, my friends, my family,” said a 15-year-old girl victim of an attempted kidnapping, according to ABC News in 2019.
“It affected me so negatively. Wherever I go, I’m scared because I’m much more aware of my surroundings now.”
Criminals are using ridesharing to kidnap children – a worrying trend identified by the FBI
Although ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft prohibit children under 18 from driving, they can often use an adult’s account to circumvent the law. (file image)
The teen spoke about how she used ridesharing regularly in New York, but in the summer of 2019, an Uber driver tried to kidnap her.
At the time, it was revealed by the Nassau County Attorney’s Office that the driver was attempting to force her home and “intended to sexually assault her.”
What are the ridesharing rules?
Car sharing services are an ever-growing concept that has grown exponentially over the past decade.
But companies like Uber and Lyft ban children under 18 from riding.
However, children can often use an adult’s account to circumvent the law.
Uber drivers are required to complete federal, state, and local background checks.
And drivers must provide valid phone numbers, email addresses, and payment methods to use the platform.
However, the FBI does not believe this is an isolated case. In a public statement, it added: “During the pandemic, other modes of transportation were used, the privacy of ride-sharing services allowed criminal actors to disguise the identification of potential witnesses and allowed them to do so.”
Specifically, the FBI used a 16-year-old Texas boy as a case study who was kidnapped while ordering an Uber.
The teenager was due to drive about 20 miles in April and was reportedly offered a drink during his trip.
But the boy woke up later that day 31 miles from his destination in a random house before fleeing the property and alerting authorities.
The FBI also shared details about a child kidnapping in Mexico City in February in which the father of a seven-year-old boy asked a driver to stop at a flower stand.
The father got out of the vehicle, leaving the driver with the child, who was later recovered after calling his mother from the car.
Car sharing services are an ever-growing concept that has grown exponentially over the past decade.
Although companies like Uber and Lyft prohibit children under 18 from driving, they can often use an adult’s account to circumvent the law.
“I know a lot of drivers who have faced outraged parents,” Larry Duncan, a Lyft driver in Bowling Green, Kentucky, told Vox in 2019.
“They yell and yell for you to take your kids and what some of us are trying to say is that the parents can ride with the kid, but they can’t be alone.”
The bureau identified the pandemic as a time when cases of kidnapping attempts skyrocketed. Pictured: Sepulveda Pass Freeway in Los Angeles
The FBI has urged the public to immediately report any suspicious conduct that may involve child abduction to a local law enforcement agency.
An Uber spokesman said: “Security is paramount to the Uber experience and the report outlined by the FBI is extremely concerning.
“We are constantly working to develop features and policies that are designed with safety in mind, which is why we have introduced many safety features into the app, such as the emergency button; Live help from a security agent; Text-to-911 capability (where available); and GPS tracking on every ride.
“We also want to do our part in raising awareness of these societal issues through education so drivers can recognize and report the signs of human trafficking.”
They added that all drivers must have “federal, state and local background checks” and that drivers must provide “valid phone numbers, email addresses and payment methods in order to use the platform — which is more than.” in many other forms of transportation.’
While Uber operates globally, rival ridesharing service Lyft is limited to the US and Canada.
Web also contacted Lyft for comment.