'Fake rideshares' targeting people leaving bars in Gold Coast and Wrigleyville: officials

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are warning people about fake rideshare drivers on the city's North Side.

They say these drivers pretend to be rideshares and then rob their riders. Police say there have been more than a dozen incidents since January, most recently on Sunday.

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The bar and restaurant owners in the Gold Coast neighborhood say they meet once a month with the 18th District police to go over safety and crime trends they are seeing. They say they are trying to do what they can to help people remain vigilant.

"We've seen this before. It's not the first year that this has happened. I mean, in years past, I know we've told our employees, 'Make sure you check the plates,'" said Butch McGuire's General Manager Justin Cordes said.

Cordes says they teach their employees to use the buddy system, making no one goes home alone.

"We had some new people that just started here, like, 'Oh, we're gonna take the train.' And we say, 'No, get an Uber and we'll pay for it,'" Cordes said.

But even with what is supposed to be a safer option, there has been a trend of what 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins calls "fake rideshare" scams.

"We are trying to get the bars downtown to do a much better job of communicating the risks to their customers. We've asked some of the bars here on Division Street to put up signs in the bathrooms, and they've done so," Hopkins said.

He says the scam happens when criminals are pretend to be Uber or Lyft drivers and rob people of their money and belongings.

"We think it's the same crew driving around on the North Side, so you never know exactly when they're going to strike again," Hopkins said. "They can kind of tell when someone is standing there waiting for an Uber. You're looking on your phone down the street constantly. That is a sign to them that if they approach you, and they roll down their window, and they say 'I'm your ride,' and they say it firmly, you might've had a few drinks, and your judgment isn't good, and you just think, 'Oh, that's my ride.' That's how these incidents begin."

Chicago police say it has happened at least 13 times over past couple months and, in several instances, criminals access victims' banking information through their stolen phones and drain their bank accounts.

The incidents took place at the following times and locations:

- 1:30 a.m. Jan. 5 in the 3500-block of North Clark Street (Wrigleyville)
- 2:30 a.m. Jan. 5 in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 1:10 a.m. Jan. 11 in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 3 a.m. Jan. 11 in the 10-block of West Division Street (Gold Coast)
- 2:16 a.m. Jan. 12 in the 10-block of East Elm Street (Gold Coast)
- 2 a.m. Feb. 9 in the 1000-block of West Newport Avenue (Wrigleyville)
- 1:55 a.m. Feb. 23 in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 3:45 a.m. Feb. 23 in the 3600-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 3 a.m. March 9 in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 2 a.m. March 29 in the 20-block of West Division (Gold Coast)
- 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 1:40 a.m. Sunday in the 3500-block of North Clark (Wrigleyville)
- 2 a.m. Sunday in the 1000-block of West Cornelia Street (Wrigleyville)

"Unfortunately, you have a lot of people that say that they've been assaulted, that they've been robbed," said Modern Grill owner Chris Karountzos. "They're looking for prey."

The issue extends into the Wrigleyville neighborhood, where the latest rideshare scam happened near Clark and Cornelia, just steps from Wrigley Field.

"If you can try not to travel alone, one, yeah. I mean, if you're with somebody, you're always better off," Cordes said.

Chicago police are urging people to check the license plates of rideshares before getting in.

The three to four male suspects are described as 16 to 25 years old.

In a statement, 44th Ward Ald. Bennett Lawson said, "Nothing is more important than the safety of the 44th Ward and I'm in constant communication with CPD to ensure we prevent these crimes from occurring. While we have seen a recent decline in robberies in our police district, I encourage all residents to always be cautious of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior."

Anyone with information is asked to call Area Three detectives at (312) 744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com.

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