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Delivery riders vexed by fake Foodpanda orders that may be linked to loanshark harassment
Mr C.S. (centre) with four other riders outside a Housing Board flat in Ang Mo Kio.PHOTO: COURTESY OF MR C. S.
Jessie Lim
SINGAPORE - It looks like a legitimate cash-on-delivery food order, but when an assigned rider shows up at the delivery address, no one receives the order and the so-called customer cannot be contacted.
The rider has made a wasted trip and the hawker is not paid - a common problem in the last two months on the Foodpanda food delivery service platform.
Riders end up at the same unit in a particular Housing Board block in Bedok, for instance, prompting the police to believe that the fake orders could be intentional harassment by loan sharks.
"The recent trend of Foodpanda riders receiving prank orders is related to unlicensed moneylenders making use of food suppliers and food delivery service providers to harass debtors and cause annoyance to the debtors and members of the public," a police spokesman told The Straits Times.
The police are also looking into another case of residents at an Ang Mo Kio address allegedly receiving food they did not order.
Several Foodpanda riders told ST they have been getting up to one fake order a day over the last two months - a significant increase from last year.
Foodpanda delivery rider C. Chua, 28, said: "Last year, I received one fake order a month on average, but now it is almost every day."
Another Foodpanda delivery rider, Mr Muhammad Asyraf, 31, said he received two to three fake orders per week last month.
When customers order through Foodpanda, they can pay by credit or debit cards or use e-wallets like PayLah! and Apple Pay. However, if they choose to pay by cash, they need to pay only after the food is delivered.
When contacted, a Foodpanda spokesman said that the cash-on-delivery option is for users who may not have access to cashless payment options.
"We appeal for the responsible use of food delivery services and cash-on-delivery option in consideration of food delivery riders who are working hard round the clock to deliver hot food to our homes," the spokesman added.
Foodpanda's algorithm will block errant accounts when they are deemed fraudulent. Future accounts created on the same device will also be deleted.
Riders, however, would like Foodpanda to indicate upfront if the orders they accept are to be paid in cash, and not after they arrive at the restaurant to pick up an order.
About 300 riders have banded together to form the Telegram group Foodpanda Scam Alert to alert others of delivery addresses linked to fake orders.
Foodpanda rider Ben Lim, who is in his 40s, said: "There is a certain pattern in the orders. They use the same few names and delivery addresses. And they are all cash payments."
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Another rider who wants to be known only as Mr C.S., 36, said: "When I try to call the customer, the number is registered as a Malaysian number. These fake orders are a waste of time and money."
Delivery riders who do not accept orders risk a lower rating, which in turn leads to lower earnings per order, according to Foodpanda's website.
This is why many Foodpanda riders are also on other food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo and GrabFood.
A Deliveroo spokesman said: "As Deliveroo Singapore doesn't have a cash-on-delivery payment option for customers, Deliveroo's riders are consequently protected from the risk of prank orders."
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On GrabFood, drivers will not receive cash orders if their credit wallet balance is insufficient and their auto top-up feature is disabled.
Grab said that it will soon limit the order value for potentially errant customers who pay in cash, who will then need to switch to cashless means to complete their orders.
Jessie Lim
SINGAPORE - It looks like a legitimate cash-on-delivery food order, but when an assigned rider shows up at the delivery address, no one receives the order and the so-called customer cannot be contacted.
The rider has made a wasted trip and the hawker is not paid - a common problem in the last two months on the Foodpanda food delivery service platform.
Riders end up at the same unit in a particular Housing Board block in Bedok, for instance, prompting the police to believe that the fake orders could be intentional harassment by loan sharks.
"The recent trend of Foodpanda riders receiving prank orders is related to unlicensed moneylenders making use of food suppliers and food delivery service providers to harass debtors and cause annoyance to the debtors and members of the public," a police spokesman told The Straits Times.
The police are also looking into another case of residents at an Ang Mo Kio address allegedly receiving food they did not order.
Several Foodpanda riders told ST they have been getting up to one fake order a day over the last two months - a significant increase from last year.
Foodpanda delivery rider C. Chua, 28, said: "Last year, I received one fake order a month on average, but now it is almost every day."
Another Foodpanda delivery rider, Mr Muhammad Asyraf, 31, said he received two to three fake orders per week last month.
When customers order through Foodpanda, they can pay by credit or debit cards or use e-wallets like PayLah! and Apple Pay. However, if they choose to pay by cash, they need to pay only after the food is delivered.
When contacted, a Foodpanda spokesman said that the cash-on-delivery option is for users who may not have access to cashless payment options.
"We appeal for the responsible use of food delivery services and cash-on-delivery option in consideration of food delivery riders who are working hard round the clock to deliver hot food to our homes," the spokesman added.
Foodpanda's algorithm will block errant accounts when they are deemed fraudulent. Future accounts created on the same device will also be deleted.
Riders, however, would like Foodpanda to indicate upfront if the orders they accept are to be paid in cash, and not after they arrive at the restaurant to pick up an order.
About 300 riders have banded together to form the Telegram group Foodpanda Scam Alert to alert others of delivery addresses linked to fake orders.
Foodpanda rider Ben Lim, who is in his 40s, said: "There is a certain pattern in the orders. They use the same few names and delivery addresses. And they are all cash payments."
Gig economy workers around the world say they can no longer survive
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Another rider who wants to be known only as Mr C.S., 36, said: "When I try to call the customer, the number is registered as a Malaysian number. These fake orders are a waste of time and money."
Delivery riders who do not accept orders risk a lower rating, which in turn leads to lower earnings per order, according to Foodpanda's website.
This is why many Foodpanda riders are also on other food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo and GrabFood.
A Deliveroo spokesman said: "As Deliveroo Singapore doesn't have a cash-on-delivery payment option for customers, Deliveroo's riders are consequently protected from the risk of prank orders."
Scam mastermind admits to cheating Grab of more than $26k through nearly 2,000 bogus ride bookings
On GrabFood, drivers will not receive cash orders if their credit wallet balance is insufficient and their auto top-up feature is disabled.
Grab said that it will soon limit the order value for potentially errant customers who pay in cash, who will then need to switch to cashless means to complete their orders.
