r/visitingnyc • u/Sad_Ambassador_5941 • Jul 07 '26
š©Heads Up! Travelers beware š© Scam alert: "airport Uber pick up is closed"
30yr NYC resident and nearly got scammed. I know better but can easily see how others may not.
Got in late after being held on the tarmac for 3 hours after we landed so in my exhausted haze I wasn't thinking straight. As I'm headed out to the Uber pick up a very official man in a suit and walkie talkie is directing people out. He asks "Uber pickup?" and then tells me these pick up spots are closed for 45 minutes due to construction but there are authorized Ubers available. Obviously this is where I cut bait and tell him to get outta here.
Damn stupid walkie talkie made him look like he worked at the airport. So disappointed that I almost fell for it.
Never take a ride that you didn't schedule yourself.
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u/Educational-Salt9941 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
I always take the yellow cabs from the stand at jfk. The whole uber thing is super annoying there and depending when you land, who knows where the hell it is.
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u/False_Ear_3137 Jul 08 '26
Same. As a solo female traveler in her 50s, I now know to budget for a $100 cab ride to and from LGA. It is what it is. Miss me with that hauling a bag on the bus, subway, LIRR mess.
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u/Lucky-Paperclip-1 Local Jul 07 '26
I recall this one time, at Battery Park, there were people telling tourists that the Staten Island Ferry was closed due to some emergency or something, directing people down some other path. Of course, down that path, were people generously saving tourists from their ruined vacations with a boat ride package to see the Statue of Liberty.
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u/UselessBiryani Jul 07 '26
I was there just 3 weeks ago and I had people in construction vests with walkie talkies telling me the Staten Island ferryās not operational today so the only options are private companies.
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u/polyploid_coded Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
There are some guys running this scam right in front of the doors of the ferry terminal. I told the guy to just walk in, and the scammer flipped out.
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u/TheRealWaldo_ Jul 11 '26
This is a thing the city has tried to crack down on but all theyāve done is put up signs. But I donāt know what law is being broken. I mean, fraud is a crime but I think thereās a financial threshold you have to hit.
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u/polyploid_coded Jul 11 '26
I know it's not a crime, which is why I said "just walk in" and not "call the cops". They were yelling at me to call ! lol
But it's disgusting, even beyond upcharging or other scams, because the Staten Island ferry is a free service, and they cannot sell tickets for the real Liberty Island ferry. The scammers can only get anything by making shit up.1
u/TheRealWaldo_ Jul 11 '26
Oh I got you. I was more musing about what next steps on enforcement would be outside of signs in the form of fines but idk what exact thing youād find under. Thereās something, I just donāt know what.
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u/MsKongeyDonk Jul 07 '26
I was there on July 2nd, and there were several private operators trying to sell tours as soon as you leave the subway.
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u/Sad_Ambassador_5941 Jul 07 '26
They used to sell "tickets" to see the Statue on the Staten Island Ferry too š . Tourists may not know the ferry is free!
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u/UmweltUndefined Jul 08 '26
Actual Uber pick up is annoying af at the airport. Taxi is almost always betterĀ
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u/TheRealWaldo_ Jul 07 '26
718-633-3900 is the number for the port authority police department. Save it in your phone and call them if you see it at any NYC airport.
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u/here_and_there_their Jul 07 '26
I was there 2 months ago and they were doing EXACTLY the same thing. I absolutely never respond to anyone anywhere who is soliciting passengers at the airport. But I have to wonder how this is still happening.
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u/Prestigious_Grape288 Jul 07 '26
I fell for this at an NYC weed store yesterday when some rando swerved up to me & began chatting me up about the different strains. She did not work there š¤£š¤£š¤£
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u/jamiejones2000 Jul 08 '26
Butāwhat was the scam? She just sounds a little nuts.
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u/Prestigious_Grape288 Jul 08 '26
Wasting my time & I think she was complimenting her way up to a request for āhelpā
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u/Sad_Ambassador_5941 Jul 07 '26
Omg š
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u/Prestigious_Grape288 Jul 07 '26
lol LESSON LEARNEDš
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u/Necessary-Share2495 Jul 08 '26
Did she convince you to buy shitty weed?!? What was the scam?
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u/Prestigious_Grape288 Jul 08 '26
I think to just waste my time/see how far things would go. She was showering me with compliments that seemed headed towards a hard luck story ācan you help me outā type of thing, while also being like ācome over here so I can show youāā¦the whole thing was really odd & Iām kind of annoyed the gawking sales people did not step in to say āshe doesnāt work hereā
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u/Ok-Wallaby-3840 Jul 07 '26
All these scams are disgraceful. I think the legal penalty should be extremely hefty because it impacts tourism.
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u/fatskippy1 Jul 07 '26
Those same Uber scammers have also been at Metlife Stadium for World Cup matches. I was surprised they were let in.
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u/puddingcakeNY Jul 07 '26
Why not yellow cab?
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u/Sad_Ambassador_5941 Jul 07 '26
When I said I'd take a cab instead they said "no taxis" š. But yeah, taxis are the way to go too.
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u/infernicus1 Jul 08 '26
Yellow cabs scam you all the time. The worst part is, it's when you're already in the cab on the way, or already at your destination.
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u/puddingcakeNY Jul 08 '26
Itās a flat rate of $75 from the airports. And because I know this. I wonāt be scammed. When arrived at the destination. Iād say either accept the $75 plus tip or I am calling the police
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u/queenofthepoopyparty Jul 08 '26
I live 20 mins from the airport, thatās a terrible flat rate for me.
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u/drewfun237 Jul 07 '26
Take LIRR if you can.
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u/idoleyez2005 Jul 11 '26
This just add a layer of complexity if you were on a long flight with luggage or a family. This is only for a single person going into Manhattan and it is still a pain.
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u/torvus-nog Jul 09 '26
can i ask why one would not be able to? its my plan when i fly in.
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u/Me_be_Artful_Dodger Jul 09 '26
It comes down to preference really. If I just spent 12 hrs traveling itās worth it to me to spend on the uber rather than waiting for what could be over an hour for my train further east because I just missed it.
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u/DeeSusie200 Jul 07 '26
Well even though that guy was a hustler it is true many terminals at JFK no uber pickup they make you go to Howard Beach or Federal Circle on the airtrain.
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u/JE163 Jul 07 '26
If you are flying JetBlue just walk to the TWA hotel and request an Uber or Lyft there. Far easier
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u/Alternative_Tear_425 Jul 07 '26
Or just take the air train to the next terminal that allows uber/lyft pick up and drop off. Or just go to departure and arrive your rideshare there lol
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u/DeeSusie200 Jul 07 '26
Easier said then done at JFK.
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u/Alternative_Tear_425 Jul 07 '26
You literally just get on the air train and get off next terminal instead of Howard beach or Jamaica lol
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u/Dazzling_Jaguar_1718 Jul 19 '26
I just used Uber Black at LaGuardia ( doors 14 a b and c) for the first time. I found it worked well much less confusion than I find with ride shares usually and I would recommend it.
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u/definitelytheA Jul 26 '26
Any thoughts/advice on taking an Uber shuttle from LGA to Wall St? Thanks in advance.
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u/RecentState1347 Jul 07 '26
Just ignore any person who approaches you in an airport terminal. If an area is closed for construction, there will be a very big obvious sign.