Grab admits hacking by drivers to ‘steal’ rides

Grab says it is aware that some driver-partners are ‘stealing’ rides from other drivers on its platform.

PETALING JAYA: E-hailing giant Grab has admitted that its app has been hacked by some driver-partners to “steal” rides from other drivers on its platform.

Describing the problem as a fraud, a Grab spokesman said the company was aware that some of its driver-partners are using illegal tools and modified apps to bypass the system and steal other driver’s bookings.

“There are driver-partners who use these tools and apps to get an unfair advantage over job allocations. Such apps not only unfairly benefit drivers by letting them cherry-pick passengers but they could also lead to users’ personal data being compromised.

“It poses a risk to users’ personal data on their own mobile devices,” the spokesman told FMT.

However, Grab sought to assure its driver-partners and customers that the firm has been making efforts to prevent the stealing activity and keeping their platform safe.

“We have invested heavily in building advanced anti-fraud technology that has allowed us to proactively detect and prevent such activities and to keep our platform safe and secure.

“However, the fight against fraud is never-ending, which is why we will continue to develop technology powered by machine learning and have dedicated data scientists focused on anti-fraud efforts,” the spokesman said, adding that Grab will not hesitate to suspend driver-partners who are involved.

High-fare bookings

FMT also reached out to a Grab driver-partner who claims to have fallen victim to this fraudulent activity on the platform.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said the dishonest driver-partners would usually steal high-fare bookings only.

“This happens especially for long distance trips where the fare is usually more than RM30.

“There was one time that I received a booking from Bangsar to Banting with the fare stated as RM70, but after 15 to 30 seconds, the booking was cancelled,” he said.

He said his bookings had been stolen four times in the last two months.

Initially, he thought the booking was cancelled by the passenger but later, he was informed that many other driver-partners were facing a similar predicament of cancellation of rides.

He claimed that these unscrupulous driver-partners could only steal the bookings if they were nearby the customers or the other drivers.

He is unsure if the passengers are aware of this issue. “Passengers may just notice a slight glitch or lagging on the app before the booking is reassigned to a new driver.”

Asked if drivers have lodged complaints with Grab, he said the company is aware of it and has advised them to report any suspicious activity. - FMT