'Tap & Snatch Crew' stealing phones and livelihoods from for-hire drivers in New York City
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The New York Federation of Taxi Drivers is speaking out about recent robberies targeting rideshare drivers.
They don't understand why the NYPD didn't alert drivers of this robbery pattern sooner and why cops haven't made an arrest if the suspects are hailing cabs using rideshare apps.
They are asking the FBI to step in because they say this appears to involve sophisticated bank and wire fraud.
The union announced a $2,000 reward for any information leading to arrests.
Police say nearly two dozen incidents occurred in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island between late November and early this month.
NYFTD says the criminals responsible are being dubbed the "Tap and Snatch Crew."
Dashcam video of one of the crimes was released by the NYPD.
In it, police said you can see masked suspects tap the driver and then rob him of his phones and cash.
Police say the suspects in this crime wave pose as passengers, then snatch drivers' phones mid-ride, and also drain their bank accounts by using the drivers' phones to make Zelle or Venmo transactions.
They've gotten away with thousands of dollars in some incidents to as much as $10,000.
There have been 14 robberies in Queens, six in Staten Island, and two in Brooklyn.
In some cases, the drivers are held up at knife point and punched or kicked.
Dashcams have been broken or stolen and AirPods were also taken in one incident.
The new crime wave comes as drivers no longer carry cash, with 80% of RideShare drivers now paid by wire transfer, their earnings are stored in their cell phones.
"Your phone is now your cash, these predators know that by stealing a driver's phone, they're not just taking a device-they're emptying bank accounts, draining digital wallets, and shutting down that driver's ability to work. This must stop. Drivers must stay vigilant, keep phones secured, avoid handling devices during trips, and report suspicious passengers immediately," said Fernando Matteo, NYSFTD spokesperson.
Drivers meanwhile can't understand why detectives haven't been able to trace the suspects back to their rideshare accounts.
"We would think they would be. They would have made arrests already but we don't know how important this is to them. They need to understand how important this is to us," Matteo said.
The union is recommending drivers use two phones, one for the rideshare app and another for their personal banking app.
The NYSFTD is calling on the NYPD to keep them abreast of crime patterns like this one.
"The NYPD must notify the NYSFTD as soon as crime patterns like this emerge. Drivers are on the frontlines every day, and we need to know when we're being targeted. Keeping us in the dark only helps the criminals," said Steven Rivera, NYSFTD President. "Without their phones, drivers can't access Uber, Lyft, or any other RideShare service."
An Uber spokesperson released a statement saying they've been in touch with the NYPD about the investigation.
"These reports are extremely alarming. Driver safety is paramount to the Uber experience, and we're constantly investing in new safety features, like our rider verification program, and Record My Ride, to help make the platform safer and build trust," the Uber spokesperson said.
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