Austin Woman Accused of Posing as Uber Driver, Drugging and Robbing Men
April 15, 2024
In a shocking crime wave striking at the heart of Lyft and Uber passenger safety, authorities in Austin, Texas, have uncovered a scam perpetrated by a woman posing as an Uber driver, who conned her victims into her vehicle before drugging and robbing them.
The Ubiquitous Uber Impostor
The suspect, 41-year-old Destini Cionne Robinson, allegedly exploited the trust of innocent pedestrians searching for their Uber rides in Austin’s bustling downtown entertainment district. After swindling her victims into her vehicle, Robinson reportedly drugged the unsuspecting passengers, leaving them unconscious and vulnerable.
Two Unfortunate Instances
The authorities have confirmed at least two cases Rowe’s devious modus operandi. The first episode unfolded on August 6, 2023, where a man mistook her vehicle for his awaited Uber. After hopping into the car, the poor bloke blacked out, only to find himself back home bereft of cash, credit cards, and iPhone. Alarmingly, the victim recorded over $11,000 in fraudulent transactions on his stolen credit cards.
The second reported instance happened nearly a month later on September 23, 2023. Once again, Robinson fooled another customer waiting for his Uber ride outside several bars on West 6th Street. As in the previous occurrence, the suspect offered her victim an open drink. Soonafter imbibing the beverage, he blacked out, only to regain consciousness on the side of the road, over 10 miles from his hotel. Frustratingly, his bank account was also subjected to fraudulent transactions, amounting to $24,000 in unauthorised purchases.
Investigations and Arrest
The authorities analysed Robinson’s Cellular Data Records to ascertain her proximity to the crime scenes, strengthening the evidence against her. She was found to be within the vicinity during the reported incidents. Furthermore, the records corroborated her presence near the businesses involved in the fraudulent transactions conducted using the stolen credit cards.
However, in a surprising turn of events, as per the online records, Robinson is currently not in custody at the Travis County Jail. The law enforcement departments have not yet disclosed further information about her current whereabouts.
These unfortunate events serve as a stark reminder of the need to verify the authenticity of driver profiles before getting into rideshare vehicles. Nevertheless, these incidents have triggered an alert, advocating for stronger checks and controls in ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Lyft.