Some Uber passengers are reportedly getting hit with $150 fines after drivers allegedly commit 'vomit fraud'

Uber

Some Uber drivers are reportedly falsely reporting riders for vomiting inside their vehicles, the Miami Herald reports. The scam has been dubbed "vomit fraud."
Some drivers are reportedly sending false pictures to Uber's management, prompting fines as high as $150 for some customers.
Uber told Business Insider they are "evaluating" the processes and technology of cleaning-fee claims.

Some Uber drivers are reportedly charging customers $80 to $150 after falsely reporting that riders vomited inside their vehicles, according to a Miami Herald report.

The scam originates out of a mandatory "cleaning fee" that Uber charges customers if they throw-up inside a driver's vehicle.

The sham seems simple enough. As detailed by the Miami Herald, the Uber driver sends false photos of the incident to Uber management, who then initiates the fee. Uber's fees vary, as a spilled drink by passengers is $20, while vomiting in or on the car is between $40 and $80. If a passenger causes "significant amounts" of blood, urine, or vomit to affect the interior, a $150 fine is assessed.

In a statement sent to Business Insider, an Uber spokesperson said, "Participating in fraudulent activity of any kind is a clear violation of our Community Guidelines. We are constantly evaluating our processes and technology related to these claims and will take appropriate action whenever fraud may be detected."

The ride-hailing company could not give Business Insider an exact number of fraud claims, but said that most cleaning fee reports are legitimate and that when Uber does find a confirmed case of fraud, appropriate action is taken which includes the removal of the driver. Uber encourages riders to report any suspected cases of fraud immediately.

In a statement sent to el Nuevo Herald, Uber added, "With 15 million trips a day, Uber is unfortunately not immune to these types of incidents."

As noted by Uber's guidelines section of their website, vomiting can also lead to a loss of ridership and use of the ap. Uber's help-website says, "Riders are responsible for damage to the interior or exterior of a vehicle caused by incidents such as vomiting or food spills."

The Miami Herald reports of incidents where drivers work together to bring fees on a single customer to as high as $300. The report includes incidents of passengers being wrongfully kicked off the app following a false vomit submission sent by the driver.

On Twitter, some users expressed frustration with how the company's customer service department is handling complaints of vomit fraud.

So I just heard of an @Uber scam called “vomit fraud” where the driver can claim you vomited in their car, slap you with a cleaning fee of up to $150, & Uber’s notoriously unreachable customer service may or may not refund you after hella hoopla. Make sure y’all check receipts!
— morgan (@itscaptnmorgan) July 23, 2018

Uber drivers are being blasted this morning in numerous articles for their vomit fraud scams. Three weeks ago I was a victim in Houston! Only after media threats would they refund me.
— Jade Waddy (@JadeAshleyPR) July 23, 2018