I came across a terrifying new Uber scam that had multiple components on a recent trip to Mexico. Some aspects incredibly inventive, others coincidental.
This is going to seem like an American Express ad by the end of the article because of the resolution, but I assure you it’s anything but. I easily could have used Chase or Citi with a similar result.
The Scam
Upon arrival into Cancun International Airport in Mexico I wanted just two things – a decent taco and to be at my hotel. As I entered the transportation area outside of the airport doors but still within its confines, I was verbally accosted by representatives from every taxi, van, and tour company “Sir, best price, best price taxi.” “Señor, please cenotes, dolphins, beach.” I politely shook my head to more than I should have acknowledged and walked to a pillar to set my things and complete an urgent business call before I sorted my transportation.
I use T-Mobile because when I land, it just works. I have used eSIMs in the past and this is probably a good use case for revisiting that strategy. T-Mobile was not having a great day. My signal showed full bars at 5G but I was dropping calls, and the internet struggled. I concluded my call and opened Uber. It was dropping internet signal intermittently but I completed my request, a one-way journey to Gran Velas Riviera Maya. I’d plotted it before my arrival so the 45-minute ride for 1,258 MXP ($55 USD) seemed right. I didn’t want to deal with the taxi folks, it’s untraceable and they often overcharge.
My ride was located near the Hilton Garden Inn across the street. The driver asked me to walk there instead of to the designated pickup area. I get it, in most countries there’s a fee to pick up from the airport and it wasn’t a far walk. I don’t want to tax this poor Uber driver. That said, it was at this point (where he failed to arrive at the meeting point and asked me to meet somewhere else) that my suspicions began and I started to collect screenshots.
My phone was still having trouble with bouts of great connectivity followed by “no internet” signs in the app as he was messaging and calling with instructions for how to reach him. I made my way to him but was cautious. He asked me again for my destination and number of passengers. I messaged him the destination again but as he should have it in the app (which showed the ride was active) I started taking screenshots just in case I needed to cancel and dispute with Uber. This is all broken up by phone restarts and internet coming to life and then dying again. I am not sure how much if this issue is him and how much is T-Mobile at this point.
I arrived and looked at the driver who matched as well as the license plate and vehicle description. A verification code flashed on my screen but I couldn’t later find it in my messages or account information. I put by rollaboard in the trunk and another fellow who addressed me by name greeted me opened the door for me and climbed in the front seat. I am fully on alert at this point – why do you need two drivers? I start speaking in Spanish right away so they know that I am paying attention and am not a clueless American (though I am acting like it and it might have been smarter to let them talk without knowing I could understand.)
A mile down the road, the driver asks why I cancelled the ride, showing me his screen. I pull mine up to show him the ride is still active. We debate for a moment, then it shows Uber is shopping for a new driver for me. The delay is probably T-Mobile. I have seen something like this movie before. I am not comfortable riding and request for him to pull over and let me out.
He offers to go to a gas station and communicate with the replacement driver where to pick me up. I start running through the reality of that in my mind. I picture myself being let out at a random gas station with my belongings and then starting this super fun process all over again. Additionally, I consider that if I push the panic response, they could drive off as soon as I get out to get my luggage and that’s no good too.
They offer a cash price off Uber of 1,000 Mexican Pesos ($58.17 USD), about 20% less than Uber because they wouldn’t have to pay the Uber commission. “Cash? I don’t have any pesos.” I say confirming that I won’t have an issue upon arrival. “We only take credit card” and then he points to a sign. In many countries this is the case (and now even on US airlines) because it reduces the chance that drivers are skimming from the taxi company or vehicle owner. Given my concerns about abandoning the ride and the new comfort that they can swipe my card but I can always deal with that later, I proceed.
During this process I text my wife, share my Uber with her, my location, and continually update as she tracks me. If I am about to get robbed, taken, or killed, I am going to document it to hell along the way. I text my daughter something sweet.
For the very longest 45 minute drive it’s almost silent in the car and I watch the GPS on my phone creep toward my destination offset against the windshield in front of me.
When we arrived at the hotel, they stated that resorts don’t permit Ubers to pull into their private driveways and while I felt like this was a farce, I went with it because it meant that I was still getting out of the vehicle (alive and intact) in front of hotel staff and likely myriad cameras. The trunk was popped before I exited, the door was opened for me and the mobile card reader was taken out. I grabbed my things first and then thought I might have lucked out all the way around. The reader came up at 1,000 Mexican Pesos and the tap to pay “wasn’t working” on his machine, I needed to insert the chip.
I carefully selected my American Express Platinum card because I know it has a reputation for backing its customers. The charge went through but I wasn’t holding the machine at the time, and before I made it to the entry gate, they were gone. I explained to the attendant that I had been dropped there and he called a ride for me for the final 2km to the resort checkin. I took out my phone and had a message instantly from the American Express fraud department asking me if I authorized 9,421 MXP ($548 USD.) I tapped “no” and called the fraud department immediately.
Why It Works
The scam plays on distraction and inexperience. I, like others, have been distracted getting into a cab. And when already in the cab, most would continue to their destination, especially at a discount. The comfort of paying with a credit card takes away the fear that it’s a cash scam, and seeing the amount before pushing the button on the credit card machine makes you feel like you’ve gotten it right. It also can look like an honest mistake of an extra zero (10,000 instead of 1,000) though I suspect that the scammer didn’t realize it there was some sort of a processing charge or processing in dollars at it’s an exact USD figure but rough in pesos.
If the mark (me) doesn’t have alerts set up on their phone, or doesn’t have coverage turned on. If they don’t notice, it’s possible they are able to settle some of these out.
By showing me the cancelled ride (which I now realize they cancelled) it puts me back in the queue and as it was still active on my phone, it looks like a “me” problem when it’s not. By taking credit cards (via the placard mounted on the dash) it established trust that it was a legitimate business. Seeing the screen first before running the charge also made me feel like all was well before he added the zero.
Some will pay with a debit card where processing costs are lower, risk for the traveler is high, and recourse is limited.
Mitigation And What To Do If You’re Ensnared In It
In retrospect, I should have changed a lot about my approach to this situation.
- Never meet at a secondary location. I know better, I should have followed my gut.
- Once the second guy entered the scene, I should have backed away solely on the basis of being outnumbered and then that it was, of course, odd.
- When I requested to get out, I should have taken my chances right then and there at the gas station. Better to get robbed outside then to go with untrustworthy drivers heaven knows where.
- I should have held the credit card processor and pushed the button when the card was charged. Instead it was literally out of my hands.
- Only use a credit card, never a debit card where recourse is limited.
American Express To The Rescue
Recognizing the suspect charge and sending me a fraud alert was key. From there, a simple call that lasted seven minutes in total had the charge reversed and my card replacement process started. When I drew my cards I specifically used my American Express because I was certain that if I had an issue, they would resolve it quickly and to my satisfaction.
I was not disappointed.
What’s more, the crooks didn’t even come away with the fare that I was more than willing to pay. I suspect they won’t be able to use that merchant account, and so while I had a potentially dangerous situation, all was well that ended well and it might prevent others from suffering the pain of this scam.
I was lucky to come out of this scott-free. I am lucky to be alive because though there was no clear physical threat, there could have been. I won’t make the same mistake again, and I hope this post ensures our readers won’t either.
Happened to me in Chile some years back, first payment was shown as declined, it was my AMEX, then I tried with a Mastercard and it went through, but of course more than 100 % then agreed anount,got to the hotel with internet and now had the fraud message, took quite some time to convince my Mastercard issuer it was a fraud but in the end they gave me the full amount back mainly thanks to the fact I had proof AMEX had blocked it first as fraud.
You write “The scam plays on distraction and inexperience.” but I will focus on the inexperience part. Neither the taxi union or Uber has a license to pick up FROM the Cancun airport, only TO the airport. That is what I know. In fact, if you read TripAdvisor forum posts or Reddit post, you will learn that quickly. There is one exception, because Flex Eco Taxi co-license the Uber Reserve category of cars. But outside of that, there is no taxi union or Uber by license. Again, that’s what I know based on regular updates I see. So starting with distracting you to the HGI and other pickup spots, they were deceiving you. You were a mark. The rest, once they had you, they can both lie. So, good on you for the credit card alert.
So, this wasn’t just a scam on the part of the driver, but rather a tourist attempting to circumvent local laws in a way that could’ve gone wrong for them! FAFO and all that.
@PM – bk’s information is incorrect, not circumventing anything: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/travel/uber-can-operate-at-mexicos-airports/
@Kyle I’ll leave this for the two of you to argue, particularly since the article is about a federal decision and QR may have its own local quirks.
The only thing I do know is that I don’t want to be anywhere near a Cancun taxi! 😀
@bk – There was a ruling against Ubers in some arrivals, but since October 2025 there was an injunction that holds the status quo – Ubers are allowed to serve the airport to and from – until the Mexican constitution is amended.
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/travel/uber-can-operate-at-mexicos-airports/
Further, I didn’t circumvent anything. I used the Uber app. Had it stated that I could not be picked up at the airport (it did not, the driver asked me to meet them elsewhere) that would have been different entirely.
Good to know. I hear Singapore’s re-instituting canning for scammers. Hmm…
I have never been scammed in Singapore or been unhappy with taxis there
Well, clearly, the deterrent is working! LOL.
In the last 5 years I have always used eTransfers.com and always prepaid the $55 round trip charge from the airport to the Intercontinental Presidente and back.
Never had any problem. They always came 5 min early to the hotel.
@Daniel B – I used a transfer service, “CEO”, on my return which was much farther than the Hotel Zone. I paid $35 for a shared shuttle – more than fair from the Riviera Maya area.
With all due respect, it is widely known that Ubers in Cancun are generally unreliable, especially from the airport. If you had done any amount of research on Reddit, you would’ve seen that it is generally recommended to have pre-arranged transportation from the airport. Furthermore, you should ignore anyone who comes up to you offering transportation. The taxi touts will pretend to be from the company that you prearranged with and then they will charge you an exorbitant amount of money.
Wow. Thankfully you worked it out to share with your readers. The fear is real for solo travelers and this is not just Mexico . Trust your instincts and used your common sense.
@Maryland – I knew better and took risks I shouldn’t have. I know to avoid these things and didn’t trust my initial instinct, grateful for AMEX though.
After paying 200 pesos for 3km max (I had walked in the opposite direction and it definitely was less than half an hour) using a 100% legitimate taxi firm in ACA (it wasn’t a scam of any kind, there’s just an oligopoly in the city), I wasn’t about to make the same sort of mistake in CUN.
When I had to spend a night between flights, I made sure to stay in an hotel near the airport, got an amazing room for maybe 80 dollars and shuttle transfers included.
If I have to go any further, I’d much rather rent a car than have anything to do with the local taxi fraternity. OTOH the pink taxis in CDMX are cheaper than the apps (plus they can also be summoned via the CDMX local government app) and the tales about kidnapping etc are mostly a distortion of 1990s turf wars between gangs (targeting each other’s members, not random visitors to the city), a bit like the perception (still quite prevalent here in Europe) that Colombia is unsafe to visit.
Well, you have to be particularly cautious when traveling in Mexico. I am an urban paranoid and would not have gotten in that car. Anyway, it is not for nothing that the US State Department has most of “Level: 2 – Exercise increased caution” for Quintana Roo, and higher for a number of other areas. Anecdotally, tourist crime in the resort areas and in Mexico City seems to be going up.
I think it’s worth pointing out that while people will try to rip you off in Cancun, as is evidenced in this story, the risk of actual robbery or bodily harm is zero. Nobody is going to hurt you or steal your stuff, even if you’re a gringo alone at a gas station, on Hwy 307 in QR
Been doing this for 30 years.Always use a booked shuttle service, or the Airport authorized taxi service. Uber is always a scam in resort areas in Mexico. Seems to work OK in the larger cities.
@PM has a valid point. You intentionally chose not to abide by the local rules and put yourself in a precarious situation because of that. I’m glad you’re not hurt but sometimes being penny wise and pound foolish is a bad idea.
I wasn’t aware of that rule and if the Uber app offers me a pick-up inside the airport, how is that my fault, or in this case Kyle’s fault?
Matthew, you have studied law, I’m sure you are well aware of the Latin saying ‘ignorantia juris non excusat’. Same goes for those who use Uber in Colombia where it’s not quite legal – if you’re happy to take a risk. don’t start moaning if it goes pear-shaped in the end (just to be clear, I am saying that in the sense of getting overcharged or facing the ire of taxi drivers and/or traffic police, not in the sense of ending up in a ditch).
@Matthew Klint – There was a ruling against Uber which was suspended in October. I wasn’t aware there was ever a restriction, used the Uber app and according to this (https://mexiconewsdaily.com/travel/uber-can-operate-at-mexicos-airports/) the ruling is now to allow Ubers throughout the country until a constitutional change. If you got off a plane in Mexico tomorrow and opened the app, you would find normal operations, nothing to circumvent, no rule to ignore.
Honestly it’s been like this forever. Lots of examples: “As I entered the transportation area outside of the airport doors but still within its confines..”, ” not sure how much if this issue is him..”, misplaced modifiers, sentence fragments, comma splices… It’s something you could expect from a junior high blogger but it has honestly not improved one bit in years.. literally years.
I’m completely confused as to what happened? Is it just me? The writer is clearly not trained in journalism or writing skills.
Kyle, very much appreciate you posting this experience. I have solo foreign travel this week, to an unfamiliar country, and it’s a good reminder. Transist from the airport is always a vulnerable segment of solo traveler.
This is exactly why, if I’m traveling to a country where scams are prevalent, I pre-book a transfer service (assuming mass transit isn’t a viable option). Yes, it usually costs more, sometimes a lot more, but I have no patience for scammers and/or the need to negotiate these days.
@MeanMeosh – I checked Black Lane before I landed but it doesn’t operate in Mexico. I trusted Uber, should have trusted my initial instincts.
Use USA-Transfers in Cancun. I travel there several times a year, always use them. It is a very easy and very safe experience. In addition to what you experience, the taxi mafia doesn’t get along with the Uber drivers and violence has happened to Uber drivers and passengers as a result in Cancun, so that creates a separate dangerous issue.
Simple solution, avoid Mexico all together!
Complete unsafe place to vacation.
I get hinky when a driver tells me to find him/her in an area away from the designated pickup point. This is especially true at airports. Why wouldn’t the driver come there? It’s a red flag. I tell them to come to the proper spot or cancel the ride.
Agreed, though it happens all over. Happened in Bucharest at the airport last year for me.
I would never have agreed to meet at a different location, I would have canceled the ride and re-booked another one. And what were you thinking getting into the car with two strangers? In Mexico?! And I would not have put my luggage in the trunk, I would have kept it by my side in case of a quick escape. You did so many things wrong, you’re lucky you’re still alive.
Taxi2airport. Why to bother with Uber’s in Cancun or any other area that is known to scam tourists.
I always use a car service in Cancun. It isn’t expensive and they meet you at the customs exit and no worries about scammers. Penny wise, pound foolish.
I agree with Amex being good on fraud. I’ve had good experiences with them, but they aren’t perfect either.
It’s great that Amex took care of your charges. I had a similar issue in Santiago Chile last month with a taxi and the chip reader didn’t work, so he inserted it instead. He then stated it didn’t accept it. We paid cash and by the time we got to our room Barclay’s Mastercard sent us a fraud alert where we called immediately and let them know the $600+ charge was fraud and asked not to pay it. They had me destroy the card and issued a new one. They opened up an investigation and by the next day I got another message of charges. 3 more charges dated the prior day had shown up with all 4 charges adding up to almost S3300.00. I called again and they assured me they would remove them, as they did. A week later they stated in there investigation that we were liable for all charges since the card had been in our possession. They would rather pay a fraudster than listen to a long time customer. I tried having it reinvestigated and it came with same result along with an additional letter how they were going after my credit if I didn’t pay the bill. BTW our credit rating has been excellent 840+ for many years. We are appalled at them and now know why, as they are selling there Barclay’s MC to Citibank. We received an email a week later, stating they were selling it.