Ride hailing service inDrive has blocked more than 80000 accounts from its platform after an organized scam targeted courier delivery riders by impersonating commissioned military officers and defrauding them of money. The fraudulent activity, which began around six months ago, involved unknown individuals placing parcel delivery orders while posing as officers with ranks such as Captain or Major. Following complaints from affected riders, the company initiated an internal investigation and later lodged a formal complaint with National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency office in Islamabad. The matter was shared during a media briefing in Lahore by inDrive Country Manager for Pakistan, Awais Saeed, who said the company acted after identifying a clear pattern behind the incidents reported by couriers.
According to details shared by the company, riders would receive delivery requests through the app where the customer name displayed a military rank and the drop off location was often near Cantt areas, particularly in Karachi. These orders were typically offered at unusually high fares for short distance deliveries, which created both incentive and pressure. After accepting the ride, the courier would be asked to pick up a parcel from a CSD outlet or supermarket. Once at the location, the rider would receive a WhatsApp call claiming that someone inside the store required cash to complete the purchase. The rider was then instructed to transfer money through digital wallets such as JazzCash or Easypaisa, with assurances that the parcel would be handed over immediately afterward for delivery. If a rider hesitated, scammers would either promise additional payment on top of the already high fare or adopt an intimidating tone while invoking military authority to compel compliance. In several cases, riders transferred amounts reaching Rs 30000, only to find themselves blocked afterward with no parcel and fake addresses inside Cantt areas.
As reports from aggrieved riders increased, inDrive began taking preventive steps within its platform to contain the issue. The company blacklisted accounts using ranks such as Captain, Major, or abbreviated forms including Cap and Maj in their names. Accounts associated with repeated suspicious phrases and patterns were also blocked. In total, more than 80000 accounts were removed, with only a very small number of users claiming wrongful suspension. The scale of blocked accounts suggests that scammers operated in high volumes, likely targeting numerous riders in hopes that even a small percentage would comply. Many couriers who avoided financial loss may not have reported suspicious requests, which allowed the scheme to persist until patterns became more visible. inDrive also launched awareness campaigns on its platform, highlighting common traits of the scam and reminding riders that they are free to cancel rides without penalty. The company reiterated its policy that couriers must not make payments on behalf of customers and increased monitoring of unusually high courier fare patterns across cities.
Beyond internal controls, inDrive filed FIRs and pursued the case with National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The company coordinated closely with investigators on data sharing and behavioral analysis, which led to identification of a few suspects who were later apprehended and placed in judicial custody. Proceedings are ongoing in Islamabad. Company representatives stated that pursuing the matter is essential not only to protect platform credibility but also to safeguard the safety, dignity and earnings of their courier community. inDrive has maintained that it will continue taking firm and sustained action against any attempt to misuse its platform while strengthening monitoring systems to prevent similar schemes from affecting its riders in the future.
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