Authorities noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, criminals believed rideshare services gave them more privacy
WASHINGTONThe FBI is warning the public about criminals who may resort to using rideshare vehicles to abduct children, due to the less likelihood of being detected.
Investigators said criminals sometimes used various modes of transportation to either transport or abduct their victims during the pandemic. However, they were not apprehended while using rideshare vehicles. Instead, they were arrested while using other modes of transportation. The FBI also identified several examples of the crime.
In February 2021, an adult male in Colorado met a minor victim on social media and groomed her to send child sexual exploitation material . The male flew to California and persuaded the minor to sneak out of her residence at 2:00 a.m. to enter a rideshare vehicle. The rideshare vehicle transported them to the airport, where they boarded a plane to Washington, DC. During their travel, the adult male forced the victim to pretend to be mute and wear a wig in order to avoid detection.