GOJEK to tackle fraudulent third-party vendors through preventive measures

GOJEK has revealed that it has taken steps to address the issue and strengthen its fraud prevention mechanisms, amidst the fraudulent activity around ride-hailing.This comes shortly after several scams were reported to the Singapore police regarding unauthorised middlemen who have been contacting and offering rides at a cheaper fare. An unspecified number of fraudulent GOJEK rides and flat-fare subscription plans are being organised and facilitated by third-party vendors through WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook.In a statement to Marketing, a GOJEK spokesperson said the team is aware of such activity and has been actively looking into it. GOJEK has reported this to the police and investigations are ongoing, with several actions taken and more to be unveiled. “We do not work with third-party vendors to facilitate ride bookings or subscription plans with flat fares. We actively discourage riders from taking such rides, as this activity is potentially unsafe and may be against the law," the spokesperson said.According to an article on The Straits Times, approximately two dozens of "middlemen" have offered rides on a Telegram chat reported to have around 18,700 members. Fares are claimed to be 75% cheaper than GOJEK's flat-fare rates on its app. The ST article also said drivers are unaware of a third-party involved in the transaction, and is sealed between the middlemen and passenger.Just last month, the ride-hailing firm recorded 10 million completed trips in Singapore, six months into launching its operations here. In line with the achievement, GOJEK launched a rewards programme called “Driver Milestones” to thank its Singapore driver-partners for their support and service.Shortly after, the firm created social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram and will be using the platforms to publish a series of “fun and educational” posts that users will find useful. It has already posted tongue-in-cheek illustrations of relatable scenarios such as working overtime, infringed personal space on public transport and hot weather to highlight reasons for commuters to hire a GOJEK.