Scams Targeting NYC Drivers and How to Spot Them

In short: the scams that hit NYC drivers hardest go after your app account and your payout, your toll account, your health coverage and your TLC identity. The rule that stops most of them: no real company calls you to ask for a code, a password or your bank details. Uber says it "will never call, text, or email you" for those. If a call or text asks for one, hang up, then contact the company yourself through its app or official website. Report identity theft by another licensee to TLC's Driver Protection Unit.

This page lists the driver-specific scams we could document from official or company sources, what each one looks like, and what to do. Scammers change scripts often, so learn the patterns, not just the examples.

1. The fake "support" call that asks for your code

How it works. A caller says they are from Uber (or Lyft, or your base). They sound professional. They say there is a problem with your account, a bonus waiting, or a safety issue, and they need the code that was just texted to you. That code lets them log in as you.

What Uber says. In its guide How to spot scammers, Uber says it "will never call, text, or email you to request your password, verification code, or banking details." It warns that scammers use "refined techniques" to sound like real Uber staff, and tells drivers to end the call and contact Uber through the Driver app or help.uber.com. It also says to check that a login page is really on uber.com, login.uber.com, help.uber.com or auth.uber.com before typing your password.

If you are on the phone with someone like this right now, read someone called saying they're Uber support.

2. The payout card swap

How it works. Once a scammer is inside your account, the goal is usually your money: they change the debit card or bank account where your earnings are paid, then cash out. A variation asks you to "add a card" to your account to fix a problem.

What Uber says. Never "add someone else's credit or debit card to your account." Use a password you don't use anywhere else, and never share login details, even with someone who claims to work for Uber.

What to do. If your earnings went somewhere you didn't choose, contact the app through the Driver app at once and change your password. Our earnings sent to someone else's card page lists the steps. Never let anyone else log in or drive on your account — that is a separate problem with its own risks, covered in can someone else use my Uber account.

3. Fake toll and congestion-pricing texts

How it works. A text says you owe an unpaid toll, often mentioning congestion pricing, and gives a link to "pay now" before a penalty. The link leads to a look-alike page that takes your card number or personal details.

What E-ZPass NY says. In January 2025, CBS New York reported an E-ZPass NY scam alert saying it will never ask for your date of birth or Social Security number, and that its real messages refer only to EZPassNY.com and TollsByMailNY.com. A consumer advocate quoted in the same report said tolls are not billed by text: E-ZPass customers are billed through their account, and drivers without E-ZPass get a bill in the mail at the registered owner's address.

What to do. Don't tap the link. Log in to your E-ZPass account by typing the address yourself, or call the number on your statement. Report the text to the FBI at ic3.gov. For the specific "NY Toll Services" text, see is the NY Toll Services text a scam. Real toll problems are explained in E-ZPass for TLC drivers and disputing a toll bill.

4. Health insurance pressure in 2026

How it works. Changes to the Essential Plan in 2026 left some New Yorkers looking for new coverage — and gave scammers an opening. The NY Attorney General's June 22, 2026 guidance warned New Yorkers to watch for someone who:

• pressures you to enroll immediately;
• asks for payment to help you renew coverage;
• offers a plan that sounds too good to be true;
• asks for personal information but can't show they are certified to help.

What to do. Get free help from a NY State of Health certified assistor at 1-855-355-5777. The AG's office takes calls at 1-800-771-7755. Our health insurance for NYC drivers in 2026 guide explains the real options.

5. Identity theft and money disputes with other licensees

How it works. Someone uses your TLC license, your name or your documents — for example to register a vehicle, take a lease or work on an account. Or a garage, base or seller takes your money unfairly.

Where TLC can help. TLC's Driver Protection Unit investigates complaints from licensees about failure to pay drivers for trips, failure to return a security deposit, failure to give required documents such as leases and receipts, lease or vehicle purchase overcharges, and retaliation. Both that page and TLC's Owner/Driver Resource Center FAQ list "acts of identity theft" too. Contact: DriverProtection@tlc.nyc.gov. If you think someone is driving under your license, read someone is using my TLC license. Before you sign a lease, read buying or leasing a TLC vehicle.

Red flags in one place

If you think you've been scammed

Use only official websites and numbers

Most of these scams start with a link or a phone number the scammer supplies. Bookmark the real sites instead: nyc.gov/tlc for TLC, your app's own help section, and your toll account's site. Our official websites for NYC drivers page lists them in one place. We did not find a TLC page of scam warnings as of 2026-10-12, so we don't quote TLC on what it "never" asks. When in doubt, call TLC's Licensee Information Hotline at (718) 391-5501 from the Contact TLC page.