Fake Uber drivers at Cape Town airport: how to avoid a R25,000 fare

Travellers landing at Cape Town International Airport are being charged between R10,000 and R25,000 for a single trip by people posing as Uber drivers, MyBroadband reported on 27 October 2026. The trick usually happens at the card machine, not on the road.

The airport's own advice is simple: book only in the app, walk to the official ride-app pickup area on the ground floor of Parkade 1, and check the amount on any card machine before you tap.

How does the fake Uber scam work?

According to an Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) contractor quoted by MyBroadband, the people running it:

• wear reflective vests and carry fake cards claiming they are Uber drivers
• wait at the arrivals exits and offer rides to people who look lost or tired
• tell travellers the real pickup point is far away and persuade them to cancel their app booking
• drive the passenger to their destination, then key a much bigger amount into the card machine, such as R25,000 instead of R250

One 70-year-old visitor from the UK was charged £800 (about R17,690) for one trip, the same report said. She opened a case with SAPS but had not got her money back when she left the country. ACSA warning signs at the exits have been torn down, MyBroadband found.

Crime watchdogs and a local improvement district issued a similar warning about R10,000 to R25,000 fares earlier this month, IOL reported.

Where is the real Uber pickup point at Cape Town airport?

The designated Ride-App Pick-Up Area is on the ground floor of Parkade 1, according to ACSA guidance quoted by the Cape Argus and a US Embassy travel advisory. Signs in the terminal point the way. Your app also shows pickup directions and photos of the zone once you request a trip, Uber told IOL.

Anyone who walks up to you inside or outside the terminal offering a lift is not your Uber driver. Uber trips only happen when you request one in the app and get matched with a driver, the company said.

How do you check you're in the right car?

Before you get in, match these against the app, as Uber advises:

• licence plate number
• car make, model and colour
• driver's name and photo

You can also switch on PIN verification in the Uber app. The driver then has to enter a four-digit PIN you give them before the trip can start. Uber says riders should never pay outside the payment options in the app.

If you'd rather use a metered taxi, ACSA says to go to the official airport taxi kiosks inside and outside the terminal.

What if a driver asks you to tap your card?

ACSA's advice, via the Cape Argus, is to check both the amount and the currency on the screen before you authorise any card payment. Travellers who tap without looking are the main targets, the contractor told MyBroadband, because the bank may treat the payment as one you approved.

Is airport touting illegal?

Yes. ACSA told IOL that touting is a criminal offence under the Civil Aviation Act and its regulations.

What should you do if you've been scammed?

Contact your bank straight away to report the transaction, and open a case at the nearest SAPS station. The Western Cape E-hailing Association has urged passengers to report incidents to ACSA or the police, the Cape Argus reported. If you feel unsafe at the airport, go back to a staffed area and ask airport staff for help, the US Embassy advises.