We rely heavily on gig workers in our daily lives, whether it’s to get a ride, have food delivered, or even hand off the tedious task of grocery shopping. We take comfort in believing that the profiles on these apps represent real and verified individuals backed by reputable employers. One woman’s twisting tale, however, shatters this illusion, proving that our trust can sometimes be misplaced, with dire consequences.
In 2018, Priscilla Barbosa arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport with only $117 and the promise of a ride that never came. She was soon left crying outside the airport, never imagining that within a few years she would mastermind a sophisticated wire fraud operation, earning as much as $10,000 a month.
Barbosa’s story, highlighted in Wired, is a remarkable testament to one woman’s resolve and a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities within ride-sharing and gig economy apps. Arriving from Brazil on a six-month tourist visa, she was soon abandoned in the United States. Starting with a humble job at a Brazilian-owned pizzeria and renting a room, Barbosa eventually discovered the lucrative potential of gig apps.
Lacking a U.S. driver’s license, Barbosa initially saw her path into the gig economy blocked. That changed when someone offered to rent her an ID for $250 a week. An encounter with a forgetful passenger then opened the door to a much larger scam. As detailed by Wired:
A customer left their wallet in her car, leading Barbosa on a long journey across two locations to return it. Frustrated, Barbosa took a photo of the blonde, blue-eyed woman’s license. The passenger’s rude and dismissive response to this act of kindness was the final push Barbosa needed. “I said, ‘OK, here it is,'” she recounted.
Over the following weeks, Barbosa meticulously navigated the driver onboarding processes for both Uber and Lyft. On Christmas, she uploaded the passenger’s license to Uber, using the woman’s name but her own information for insurance and registration. Her application was approved, and Barbosa’s foray into the deceptive underbelly of the gig economy began.
In no time, Barbosa had moved on from driving to creating and renting out fake driver accounts to other immigrants for platforms like Uber, DoorDash, and Lyft. She took advantage of major security flaws in these apps, creating an underground business that netted her approximately $1.4 million over two years.
At her peak, Barbosa was making as much as $15,000 a week. She spent the money on luxury items like designer clothes, cars, and funded a comfortable lifestyle for her family back in Brazil. However, all good things come to an end, and in Barbosa’s case, it was the FBI that brought her operation crashing down. Yet, through it all, her tenacious spirit remained unbroken.
Barbosa’s story is not only an illuminating read but also a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in the gig economy. We encourage you to delve deeper into her fascinating journey. For more detailed insights, visit Wired, or for a wide array of automotive news and updates, visit our site Automotive.fyi.
Donald Smith, Editor of Automotive.fyi
