--- description: Drivers with distorted, unsettling photos are cropping up in the Uber app in China — but their cars and services are nowhere to be found. title: Uber 'Ghost Drivers' Are Scamming People in China image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Uber 'Ghost Drivers' Are Scamming People in China  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 22, 2016 12:47 PM CUT  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 22, 2016 12:47 PM CUT Drivers with distorted, unsettling photos on their profiles are [cropping up](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/22/uber-ghost-drivers-zombie-profile-pictures "undefined") in the Uber app in China, apparently hoping to scare passengers into cancelling their rides and collecting a fee. Local reports about these “ghost drivers” are leading some to think it’s an organized scam, the _Guardian_ reports. The drivers will [collect a few yuan](http://qz.com/786179/uber-china-driver-scams-ghost-drivers-are-freaking-out-passengers-and-scamming-uber-for-money/ "undefined") (less than a dollar) for a cancellation fee, and if riders aren’t scared off by their profiles, the driver will accept the ride and terminate to collect a short ride fee before the rider even sees the car. > [](https://twitter.com/AdamMinter/status/777878541232902144) Uber said it is gathering evidence to eradicate the behavior from its services, and in the meantime is refunding people who complain about being ghosted. Uber has a “zero-tolerance attitude to scamming behavior,” it said in a statement to Chinese media. Uber [announced it would merge with its rival](http://time.com/4434206/uber-china-didi-chuxing/ "undefined") Didi Chuxing over the summer, and is going through the transition period. “It was at night and from the driver’s location I was expecting the driver to arrive very soon. The map showed the driver just passed me, but there was no car around,” Veaer Wang from Shandong province [told the _Financial Times._](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4165857a-7efc-11e6-bc52-0c7211ef3198.html?siteedition=intl#axzz4KzH4x2xf "undefined") “The road was very narrow and there’s no way a car could have passed me without me seeing it.” \[[_The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/22/uber-ghost-drivers-zombie-profile-pictures "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4503969/uber-ghost-drivers-scam-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4503969/uber-ghost-drivers-scam-china/"},"headline":"Uber 'Ghost Drivers' Are Scamming People in China","datePublished":"2016-09-22T12:47:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:50:31.694Z","description":"They have creepy profile pictures to prompt users to cancel","url":"https://time.com/4503969/uber-ghost-drivers-scam-china/","keywords":["Tech","Technology","China","Travel"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4503969/uber-ghost-drivers-scam-china/","name":"Uber 'Ghost Drivers' Are Scamming People in China"}}]}] ```