The ride-sharing app Bolt has blocked an unknown number of accounts because they requested fake rides and canceled them after the driver accepted the ride.
The company has also limited requests for trips between countries to curb a trend that particularly affected Bolt users in Nigeria and South Africa.
On Thursday, several accounts on the social platform X posted screenshots of the trend, in which a Bolt user in Nigeria or South Africa requested a ride in one of the countries and then canceled it after the driver accepted it.
“We understand the impact this situation is having on our driver partners in Nigeria and South Africa. We are committed to providing a safe, reliable and secure experience for all members of our community,” said Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt’s Country Manager for Nigeria.
The trend is believed to have started with South Africans posting fake ride requests to scam Nigerian drivers. In retaliation, Nigerians scammed South African drivers. Both countries have a history of online rivalry.
It’s unclear what the motivations behind the fake ride requests are, other than internet trolling. But it raises questions about ride requests across national borders and how they can be abused by scammers. For ride-sharing drivers, the trend is a nightmare.
“I drove from Cape Town to Stellenbosch to pick up a customer, only to find out it was a fake request,” a Cape Town driver told TechCabal. “That’s almost 50 kilometers of fuel lost because of internet jokes.”
Because Bolt does not reimburse drivers for fuel used on canceled trips, some drivers decline long-distance requests until Bolt resolves the situation.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to provide more context on the trend.
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