Port of Seattle officials are investigating a potential rideshare scam at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a viral Reddit post described a frightening encounter with a man posing as an Uber driver.
The post, titled “Seatac Uber Scam,” was shared this week and has since drawn hundreds of comments and thousands of upvotes. The passenger wrote that they had booked a ride home around 6 a.m. and were matched with a black Tesla. When they saw one nearby, the driver waved them over.
According to the Reddit post, “the trunk is open obscuring the license plate from view, that should have been my first red flag.” Once inside, the passenger said they quickly realized something was wrong. “I asked to be let off (before exiting the Sea-Tac parking structure) but he complained there is no safe place to park.”
The poster claims the driver “proceeds to drive in opposite direction on I-5 from my destination then starts bargaining me to Venmo him money.” After repeatedly refusing, they said they were dropped off along the highway and eventually called another Uber to get home.
The story caught the attention of Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho, who said he asked port police to investigate.
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard of this type of case where you have someone who’s not an actual Uber driver trying to extort people for money,” said Cho. “So it’s very concerning.”
Cho said the victim filed a police report and authorities are reviewing surveillance footage in an attempt to identify the man and the vehicle involved.
“Obviously, it’s something you don’t encounter regularly, so people may not know what to do in that situation,” said Cho. “God forbid anyone ends up in the same situation as that, but I would highly recommend just calling 911 right away.”
The commissioner added that the Port maintains agreements with rideshare and taxi companies to ensure safety for travelers using airport pickup zones. He said it’s also important for public officials to pay attention to where these stories surface online.
Uber advised riders to always verify four details before entering a car: the driver’s photo, their name, license plate, and the vehicle’s make and model.
Port police continue to investigate the reported incident.
The 6 a.m. pickup time places the incident during early morning hours when tired travelers arriving on red-eye flights or departing for early connections may be less vigilant about verifying driver credentials before entering vehicles.
The black Tesla detail demonstrates the scammer’s sophistication choosing a vehicle model associated with rideshare services, particularly Uber’s premium options, to appear legitimate and disarm passengers’ suspicions about the car’s authenticity.
The waving driver behavior exploited the passenger’s expectation that their Uber driver would identify and signal them, a common practice in crowded pickup areas where both parties seek visual confirmation to connect amid numerous vehicles.
The open trunk obscuring the license plate represents deliberate tactical choice preventing passengers from verifying the vehicle matches their app-provided information, the single most important verification step before entering any rideshare vehicle.
The passenger’s retrospective identification of this as a “red flag” illustrates how obvious warning signs become clear only after incidents conclude, with time pressure and social awkwardness preventing real-time risk assessment that could prevent victimization.
The refusal to let the passenger exit before leaving the Sea-Tac parking structure created false imprisonment situation where the scammer maintained control by claiming safety concerns, exploiting victims’ reluctance to create confrontational situations over seemingly reasonable objections.
The opposite direction driving on Interstate 5 from the stated destination transformed the situation from potential misunderstanding to obvious criminal intent, with the geographic deviation making clear the driver had no intention of completing the legitimate trip.
The Venmo money demand represents the scam’s financial objective, with the criminal seeking immediate digital payment that’s difficult to reverse or trace compared to credit card transactions processed through Uber’s official payment systems.
The highway drop-off after the passenger refused payment created dangerous situation where victims face exposure to traffic, weather, and distance from help, punishing non-compliance while allowing the scammer to escape without witnesses.
The Reddit post’s viral spread with hundreds of comments and thousands of upvotes demonstrates social media’s role in public safety awareness, with the story reaching far more travelers than traditional police bulletins or news coverage alone would achieve.
Commissioner Sam Cho’s characterization as the “first time” hearing about fake Uber driver extortion attempts suggests either the scam is novel or more likely that previous incidents went unreported or unrecognized by port officials.
The police report filing and surveillance footage review indicate the victim’s cooperation with investigators, though the scammer’s choice of black Tesla and license plate obscurement may complicate identification unless facial recognition or vehicle tracking provides leads.
Cho’s 911 recommendation for future victims provides clear action plan, though passengers trapped in moving vehicles face psychological barriers to emergency calls when perpetrators sit inches away potentially monitoring phone activity.
The Port’s agreements with rideshare and taxi companies establish regulatory framework for airport pickup operations, though enforcing compliance and preventing unauthorized vehicles from accessing pickup zones requires constant vigilance that resource constraints may limit.
Cho’s emphasis on monitoring online story emergence acknowledges that victims increasingly share experiences on social media platforms before or instead of filing official reports, requiring officials to actively scan Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook for public safety intelligence.
Uber’s four-point verification advice including driver photo, name, license plate, and vehicle make/model provides concrete checklist that passengers should complete before entering vehicles, though airport chaos and time pressure often cause travelers to skip verification steps.
The ongoing port police investigation creates hope for identifying and prosecuting the scammer, though the criminal may have already moved to other airports or abandoned the scheme after the Reddit post’s viral exposure increased law enforcement attention.
Sea-Tac’s status as the Pacific Northwest’s primary airport hub makes it attractive target for scammers who can blend into high-volume rideshare operations where hundreds of vehicles cycle through pickup areas daily creating anonymity.
The incident highlights vulnerabilities in rideshare systems where app-based matching depends on passengers verifying vehicle credentials, a step that fatigued travelers or those unfamiliar with verification procedures may skip under time pressure or social awkwardness.
