Many people love using DoorDash as a convenient food delivery tool when they don’t want to drive to their desired restaurant. However, lack of face-to-face interaction and data breaches, both drivers and customers have experienced different types of DoorDash scams over the past few years. So, it’s ideal to remain cautious when placing or delivering an order through meal delivery apps (not DoorDash alone) to ensure your information is kept safe enough.
Is DoorDash Legit and Safe?
Doordash is a legit and reliable food delivery platform based in San Francisco, the United State.
Doordash is easy to use. All the customer needs to do is input the restaurant they want to eat at, their order at the restaurant, and their payment information, and then they submit the order to be delivered. On the other hand, there are many people that love working as a DoorDash driver, since it’s an easy and convenient way to make money and earn tips.
While it’s extremely convenient, the online nature and lack of face-to-face interaction when using the app easily cause data breaches and leaks. DoorDash customers have been victims of a massive data breach in 2019 that comprised the personal and financial information of as many as 4.9 million customers. And there are also many other DoorDash scams that need to be aware of when ordering through the app. DoorDash has since made changes to its instant cash policies to counteract the scam problem, but it’s still possible for scammers to take earnings in other ways.
DoorDash Data Breach Risk
In 2019, DoorDash warned its users on its blog of a data breach that occurred on its site. It affected 4.9 million consumers, dashers, and merchants that were on the app before April 5, 2018. Because of this breach, millions of customers had their information leaked to potential scammers and hackers that could use it for their own selfish gains. Types of information that were leaked included names, email addresses, delivery and billing addresses, order history, phone numbers, passwords, driver’s license information, and payment information.
What are DoorDash Scams?
While amateur hackers use these accounts just to order free food, some use the information in these accounts for targeted phishing campaigns, vishing, and smishing. These phishing campaigns are used to infiltrate a system or infect devices and networks with ransomware. When using DoorDash to place an order, it’s important to be aware of possible scams that could affect your order. These are some of the most notable ones that customers have reported when using the app. The leading victims of DoorDash scams include customers and drivers who will possibly suffer from different types of scams.
Common DoorDash Scams for Customers
These are some common scams reported by customers when using the app.
DoorDash Smishing Scams
DoorDash smishing scams are a type of scam where scammers send fake text messages posing as DoorDash, asking for personal information or payment. These text messages, also known as “smishing” scams, often use urgent or threatening language to try and get the recipient to act quickly without thinking. For example, the scammer may claim that there is a problem with the recipient’s account or order, and ask them to click on a link or provide their login information to fix it.
To avoid falling for a DoorDash smishing scam, it is important to never click on links or provide personal information in response to a text message from an unknown sender. If you receive a suspicious text message claiming to be from DoorDash, contact DoorDash customer support to verify its authenticity. Do not reply to the text message or provide any personal information. Report the scam to the authorities and your mobile provider if you think you have been a victim of a smishing scam.
Phishing Attempts
Phishing scams are a type of online scam where a third party sends a link, email, or text message with a link to follow. When the victim clicks on the link, it allows the scammer to easily steal their personal information, often including credit card information. In this scam, the third party often pretends to be a trusted business or organization, such as a bank or online retailer, in order to gain the victim’s trust and compliance.
When scammers use phishing methods over SMS text, it is known as smishing. In smishing attempts, customers receive text messages from parties claiming to be official DoorDash, often using urgent or threatening language to try and get the recipient to act quickly without thinking. The scammer may claim that there is a problem with the recipient’s account or order, and ask them to click on a link or provide their login information to fix it. However, these text messages are not from DoorDash and are instead an attempt to steal personal information or money from the recipient. To avoid falling for a DoorDash smishing scam, it is important to only order from official DoorDash websites and apps, and to never give out personal information or make payments in response to a text message from an unknown sender. Report any suspicious activity to DoorDash and the authorities.
Fake Delivery Offers
Scammers pretend to be offering food delivery services from DoorDash, but never actually deliver the food. These scams often start with an email or text message claiming to be from DoorDash, offering a free or discounted delivery for a limited time. The scammer may ask for payment upfront, either through a link or by providing payment information, but the food will never be delivered.
Fake Restaurants On DoorDash
Fake restaurants are also called “ghost kitchens”. They are not really a scam. DoorDash calls them “virtual brands. These restaurants only provide delivery service. Although the restaurant is “fake”, the food is real. Unlike a traditional restaurant, they do not have a storefront to place orders or a place to let customers sit and eat. Sometimes, scammers may creat a fake restaurants to trick customers into ordering food that will never be delivered. These fake listings often use the names and logos of real restaurants to make them appear legitimate, but the contact information and menu items are fake. When customers place an order through these fake listings, the scammer will ask for payment upfront but never actually deliver the food.
Common DoorDash Scams for Drivers
While driving for DoorDash offers immense flexibility and the potential for earning as much or as little as each driver wants, and on their own schedule, contractors are also susceptible to these scams. Some drivers have not been paid for their deliveries and have had money taken from them due to hackers. Protocol explained how it works: A scammer will place an order that a DoorDash worker will accept. The Dasher then receives a phone call from the person pretending to be a DoorDash support representative that informs the driver that the order has been canceled, or there is an issue with the driver’s app, and then asks for their login information to correct it. Hackers will then change the driver’s direct deposit information and immediately cash out earnings.
How to Do with DoorDash Scams?
Falling for a text scam is easy; that’s why it happens to so many people. If you’re the victim of a text scam, know that you’re not alone – over 47 billion spam texts were reported in 2021. It only takes one time of paying half attention to click the wrong “thing” and end up in a scammer’s trap. So what we can do if you, unfortunately, get tricked into the DoorDash scam?
You just need to recognize your mistake and act as quickly as you can.
- Cancel credit cards used for transactions and report the fraud.
- Inform your cell phone carrier of the fraudulent number and incident.
- Block the number from your phone.
- Change your passwords on important/sensitive apps such as online banking, social media, or any other space with personal information stored.
If you do fall victim to a text scam, you may experience a few possible outcomes:
- Malware: responding to a text can potentially allow malware to get installed on your device, which can gather personal information.
- Unwanted charges: because message and data rates may apply to any text exchange, you may notice unwanted charges on your next cell phone bill due to your interaction with the scammers.
- Slow cell speeds: junk or spam installed on your phone from hackers may cause your phone’s sending and browsing speeds to slow down.
Be alert to identity theft and change your password in time.
People who fall for text message scams are significantly more likely to become victims of identity theft, so it’s important to take steps to protect your identity such as monitoring your debit and credit cards and watching your credit report. You should also change your passwords on any site with access to billing information or social media accounts. Familiarize yourself with signs of identity theft, and if you see something suspicious, act quickly to minimize the impact.
Report the accident to DoorDash immediately and share your experiences with others.
Though DoorDash has updated its service to its instant cash policies to counteract the scam problems, it’s still possible for scammers to take earnings in other ways. Once you realize you are suffering the text message scam, you should immediately report it to DoorDash. Don’t feel embarrassed to share the details of your experiences since your story can help more people avoid similar tricks and prompt more refined services to be upgraded.
How to Avoid with DoorDash Scams?
DoorDash has since made changes to its instant cash policies to counteract the problem, but it’s still possible for scammers to take earnings in other ways. To avoid these scams, it is important to only order from official DoorDash websites and apps, and to never give out personal information or make payments to anyone claiming to be from DoorDash without verifying their identity. Report any suspicious activity to DoorDash and the authorities.
- Don’t provide any personal or financial information to websites provided by an email or text message link, even if it looks legit.
- Don’t reply to an email or text message with any personal or financial information.
- Only change your account information by entering the official DoorDash App or website instead of clicking on ANY provided link to do it.
- Report any incident to DoorDash immediately as they happen so they can help you get your money back (or food). You can also report any scam you were a victim of to the FTC.
- Don’t click on any link sent to you via email or text message, no matter what the email or text message says.
- Be aware that data breaches can happen to any website at any time! Only use email addresses that don’t have any personal information attached to them to sign up for online accounts.
- Use the RealCall app which can also block scam texts from any source based on the database.
With Doordash scams and smishing scams on the rise, it’s critical to be on guard and know the warning signs of fake texts. Using your best judgment and learning the telltale signs of a potential scam can help you spot a threat before it has the chance to do any damage. To secure all your devices and further safeguard your data, RealCall’s free antivirus is a great place to start.