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Conductores de Uber arrestados por estafa Screwber: ¿fue usted una de las víctimas?


RIDESHARE LAWYER

Uber Drivers Arrested for Screwber Scam – Were You One of the Victims?

Los fiscales federales de Nueva York acusaron recientemente a dos conductores de Uber de llevar a cabo un plan para defraudar a Uber, a sus clientes y a los conductores mediante el cobro de falsos cargos por aumento de precio. El plan implicaba el uso de una aplicación llamada “Screwber”, que estaba preinstalada en los teléfonos móviles que vendieron Eliahou Paldiel y Arturo Suárez Palacios. Los sospechosos fueron procesados en el Tribunal Federal de Brooklyn el 28 de agosto por lavado de dinero y fraude electrónico, y se enfrentan a una pena de cárcel de 40 años.

Paldiel and Suarez are alleged to have sold phones installed with Screwber to 800 Uber drivers. This allowed drivers to find out a customer’s destination and fare before accepting the ride, thereby allowing them to accept only the most expensive fares. The criminal duo charged a fee per phone, plus a monthly subscription fee.

Los conductores que participaron en la estafa también tenían acceso a Fake GPS, una aplicación que permite falsificar la ubicación del conductor para que pareciera que se encuentra en lugares específicos en los que se aplican precios dinámicos. Al usar Screwber, estos conductores tenían una ventaja sobre los demás a la hora de conseguir viajes en estos lugares. Fake GPS también hace que parezca que el conductor está en la cola de un aeropuerto antes de su llegada real, lo que le permite saltarse la cola virtual.

The usage of these illegal apps went undetected because the phones sold by the pair used an obsolete version of the Uber app. According to the feds, Paldiel and Suarez made significant amounts from the Screwber scheme in over 6 years, starting from 2018.

Cómo Uber falló a sus clientes y conductores

Por ahora, hay mucho más que necesitamos saber antes de poder decir con certeza cómo Uber estuvo involucrado en este esquema para estafar a los clientes y a los conductores de viajes compartidos. Lo que sí podemos decir con certeza es que empresas como Uber tienen una estrategia de “demasiado poco y demasiado tarde” cuando se trata de violaciones de seguridad. Cuando una gran corporación es investigada, a menudo se descubre que había señales de alerta que indicaban la necesidad de intensificar las medidas de seguridad. Pero el enfoque está en cómo maximizar las ganancias, y gastar dinero en áreas como la mejora de la ciberseguridad no es algo en lo que la mayoría de estas entidades estén interesadas.

Our law firm is conducting an investigation into these incidents, but it goes without saying that this massive, long-running scam was perpetrated by an app that was well known to hackers and not particularly difficult to obtain. Did Uber truly have no idea that such an app existed, or that similar apps were available from the dark web and other illicit sources? In many cases, companies are warned about these threats by internet security firms or professionals in the field, but they fail to take any action to address the situation.

In addition, it’s astonishing that such a scheme took place for six years, right under Uber’s nose. It’s hard to believe that Uber has on liability for these events, and this is the basis of lawsuit by defrauded rideshare passengers and drivers.

Demanda colectiva contra Uber

As a passenger that was erroneously charged surge charge fees due to a driver using the Screwber app, you have the right to join a class action with other consumers. Alternatively, you may be a driver who lost work opportunities and income because you chose to play by the rules while others scammed the system. You too, can explore the option of filing a class action claim with drivers who are in the same situation.

Because class action lawsuits are complex and overwhelming legal actions, it’s important to contact a law firm with experience in consumer fraud class action lawsuits. Our legal team has decades of experience in mass fraud cases involving corporate negligence, which you can take advantage of by calling us today. We look forward to speaking with you and securing the highest possible settlement on your behalf.

¿Qué puedo recuperar de una demanda?

As someone that was cheated out of fake surge fees in the Screwber scheme, you are entitled to the funds that you were cheated out of, but what this means depends on whether you are a driver or passenger. With passengers, the lost compensation is a matter of calculating how much more they paid than in fees because of the fraudulent actions of approximately 800 Uber drivers. However, it’s more complicated to figure the amount you lost as a driver who was doing the right thing, while others made money hand over fist. This is where a skilled rideshare app fraud attorney can be of help, as they are experienced in fraud cases where the losses are not black and white.

Another issue is the possible data breach that may have occurred due to bad actors infiltrating the system. There is a good chance that personally identifying information was obtained by these drivers, since we are, after all, talking about a hacking app. And data breaches are all too common and have devastating consequences for those whose identities are stolen. This is another way that consumers and honest Uber drivers may be affected, and that will impact the monetary damages you are owed from a class action claim.

Please note that the damages that you can receive depend on many details that are specific to your case, so we can only provide you with general information for now. For an accurate answer on the restitution you can receive from a lawsuit against Uber, reach out to us for a free consultation.

Questions?

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¿Cuánto tiempo tengo para presentar una demanda?

As a general rule, the deadline to file a consumer fraud claim in California is 3 years from when the violation occurred. However, there are situations where the statute of limitations is 3 years from when the victim becomes aware of the fraud / violation. The specific act of negligence by Uber, the losses you sustained, and other factors will determine how much time you have to join an Uber fake surge fees demanda colectiva. That’s why we urge you to contact us right away and talk to a consumer fraud and protection lawyer.


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Abogados destacados

Edward Morgan

Esquire

Bonnie Madani

Esquire