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ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 Orlando) - A rideshare safety campaign called “What’s My Name?” is going viral and local police departments are taking notice.
The push comes in the wake of a South Carolina Student’s murder. Police say the victim got into a stranger’s car, which she thought was her Uber.
“Devastating,” said University of Central Florida student Jamie Sammarco. “You never want to hear of someone going through that.”
Wednesday, UCF Police sent out a warning to students with several ways to verify your driver. Chief Carl Metzger says kids are constantly using the apps on campus.
“Unfortunately, we have some dangerous individuals who are taking advantage of that and preying on individuals and it’s a sad situation,” Metzger said.
Officers say to make sure the driver says your name since a stranger wouldn’t have that information.
Freshman Thao Phan is already practicing some of the other tips.
“I check for the color, I check for what model it is and the license plate on it,” Phan said.
The News Station also reached out to Uber. The company says in the coming weeks, it’s launching a “Check Your Ride” awareness campaign, purchasing ads in college papers with the PSA and it will be sending pushing notifications during pick up to remind people of the safety tips.
“Honestly, I don’t think that our students really thought about this until this incident took place. This tragedy I think will lead to greater safety and awareness,” Metzger said.
The Chief also suggests riders check the car door to make sure the child lock is not initiated and that they share their ride location through the app with a family member or friend.