With food delivery services like DoorDash, it’s easier than ever to get the right meal, snack, or dessert item easily.
Especially for those of us who have been staying home more, services like this one are a lifesaver.
To have that experience spoiled by a scam is frustrating and upsetting.
Both drivers and customers have experienced DoorDash scams over the last few years.
Today, we’re going to go over the different scams, hacks, and security issues that DoorDash users can face.
For both drivers and customers, knowing the facts can keep you from losing out.
Table Of Contents
History of DoorDash
To understand the problems DoorDash faces, you need to understand the company itself.
It started in 2013 in a small California town.
The founders originally were working to help build apps for small business owners.
As they continued to help small business owners in the area, they realized delivery was a common problem that needed a solution.
From there, they built the business that’s known today as DoorDash.
The real triumph of the business is the technology behind it.
The founders themselves consider DoorDash to be more of a logistics company that uses coding skills to support businesses that otherwise wouldn’t have the option of delivery.
From here, it’s easy to see why DoorDash, at its core, can be vulnerable to scams.
Since the majority of its processes happen online, DoorDash uses somewhat random selection.
It also doesn’t use much face-to-face interaction.
Because of these vulnerabilities, DoorDash has been subject to hacks and leaks.
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DoorDash Leaks
The most prominent data compromise that DoorDash has experienced was in 2019.
Hackers accessed the company’s data system and leaked personal information from customers, drivers, and restaurants.
This personal data included partial bank and credit card numbers, partial driver’s license numbers, delivery and email addresses, phone numbers, order history, and names.
The company maintained that no full debit card or credit card information had been accessed.
Because of this, they claimed that the perpetrators could not and did not steal any funds.
The company released news of this data breach in September 2019, five full months after the initial hack occurred.
They had only detected the breach earlier in September themselves.
Around 4.9 million customers, restaurants, and drivers were affected.
DoorDash Hacks
About a year before the 2019 hack, DoorDash customers reported hacking of their individual accounts.
This incident was never truly explained.
DoorDash claimed that it was most likely a credit stuffing scheme.
In these schemes, a third party accesses individual accounts to steal account information.
This is then used to access other accounts on other websites.
However, many customers claimed that their login information was unique to DoorDash.
So this explanation is probably not accurate.
DoorDash Scams (For Customers)
When using DoorDash to place an order, it’s important to be aware of possible scams that could affect your order.
These are some of the most notable ones that customers have reported when using the app.
1. Email Survey Scam
Email survey scams are common methods for credit stuffing.
In these attempts, you will receive an email that directs you to complete a survey.
For incentive, the scammers offer you a discount on your next DoorDash delivery.
To complete the survey and receive the so-called discount, you will have to log in to a website that looks like DoorDash.
In reality, it’s a copycat website that looks like DoorDash, but a third party is controlling it.
Logging in from this page allows the scammers to harvest your personal information.
2. Fake Delivery Drivers
As horrible as it is to get your online information stolen, having scammers show up at your home is even more upsetting.
Many DoorDash customers have fallen victim to a scam in which a so-called driver came to their home and claimed that he or she had the customer’s order.
Often, it can be difficult to tell between a scam of this nature and a true mix-up.
But in one case, a victim of this scam saw the fake driver approach on her security camera feed.
The fake driver came to her door with a group of people whom the driver told to hide and wait.
Since DoorDash’s 2019 leak involved delivery addresses for many customers, criminals are now likely able to use them for such scams.
3. Phishing Attempts
Phishing scams involve receiving a link, email, or text message with a link to follow.
Clicking on this link lets scammers steal personal information, oftentimes credit card information.
In this scam, the third party pretends to be a trusted business entity so that the victim will comply.
When scammers use phishing methods over SMS text in particular, it’s known as smishing.
In some smishing attempts, customers receive text messages from parties claiming to be DoorDash.
In these text messages, scammers ask customers to confirm recent delivery details by logging onto a fake site that is set up to pharm their data.
This is an especially dangerous scam.
Many users who know they haven’t placed an order will want to log on and verify that they haven’t made an order.
Clicking the link will subject users to stolen data.
Customer phone numbers leaked in the 2019 DoorDash leak.
So customers should watch out for text messages that aren’t from trusted sources.
4. Dashers Stealing Your Food
Unfortunately, DoorDash customers sometimes experience delivery drivers tampering with or stealing food.
If you experience something unexpected with your order, try to get to the bottom of the situation first.
Keep in mind that drivers are not allowed to open the bag or box and check your order.
If your order is not quite right, it is possible that the restaurant itself made a mistake.
If your order isn’t delivered, then it’s possible that there was an address mix-up as well.
DoorDash has links dedicated to reporting and sorting out these issues.
But if you’re sure that your driver wasn’t professional with your order, then contact Doordash support through the app.
DoorDash’s drivers are independent contractors.
Tampering with or stealing food is not tolerated by the company.
Still, be aware of all the mix-ups that could take place without malicious intent.
Customers report petty and false complaints often to get free food or discounts.
Always make sure to investigate driver-related issues before taking drastic action.
Editor’s Note:
It may seem concerning when the DoorDash app goes down, but it’s not cause for alarm.
That’s likely due to a technical glitch, not related to DoorDash scams.
However, if the issue seems like more than a simple technical error, report the issue to the company immediately.
It never hurts to be safe.
DoorDash Scams (For Drivers)
For Dashers who depend on DoorDash to make a living, it can be just as difficult to detect scams.
Unfortunately, many scammers target customers and employees of DoorDash although in different ways.
1. Customer Picks Up Food Before Driver
Sadly, drivers can be the victim of actions perpetrated by customers.
In some rare cases, customers will deceitfully report that the driver has not delivered their food.
Sometimes they will pick up the food at the restaurant before the driver does.
These sorts of actions reflect poorly on the driver at no fault of their own.
As it’s their responsibility for the customer to get his or her food, bypassing or cheating the system causes unfair issues for the drivers.
Drivers can report situations like this directly to DoorDash in the app.
They should also call the company immediately to rectify the situation.
2. Customer Reports False, Incorrect Complaints About Food
Similarly, as mentioned before, customers will make false complaints to receive discounts.
Drivers should contact DoorDash through the app or by phone to share their side of the story immediately.
This will often clear the air and fix the issue.
3. Direct Deposit Scam
In this phishing scam, third parties prompt drivers to log on to a fake version of their DoorDash account.
Once they harvest that login information, they use it to change direct deposit information.
Then, they are able to steal the employee’s wages.
One driver reported that a third party contacted her and posed as DoorDash.
They told her about a delivery challenge that, if completed, would win her a cash prize.
Once she completed the challenge, they asked for her information so they could send her prize to her.
Once the scammers had her information, they stole around $900 of her wages.
DoorDash maintains that customers and employees should not share their account information.
Some employees who gave out information had trouble escalating the situation.
But they eventually did receive reimbursement.
Also, look out for anything that have to do with emails regarding DoorDash 1099 documents – particularly payment or tax documents.
Scammers have been known to email DoorDash drivers asking for social security numbers and other sensitive information – which they later use for identify theft.
4. Cyber Shoplifting
Once scammers steal credit card information, they use chargeback measures, meant to protect customers, to get items for free.
After they buy items using stolen account numbers, they call the bank and report the fraudulent activity.
Then, the bank reimburses the account holder and the activity goes undetected.
Individual scammers have been using this method to buy meals from restaurants and DoorDash orders.
What To Do If You Suspect A Scam
If you suspect a scam or identity theft of any kind, the best thing to do is report it immediately.
Contact DoorDash customer service through their app or by phone by calling the DoorDash phone number.
If scammers have compromised your payment information, notify your bank immediately as well.
As a general rule, keep your login information safe by never sharing it.
If you receive emails, texts, or other communication offering anything that seems out of the ordinary, be cautious.
Check with DoorDash to verify the information before you act on it.
If you feel very at risk, you can delete DoorDash accounts pretty easily – another option to explore if you’re having second thoughts about your data.
Is DoorDash Safe?
Despite the scams customers and drivers may encounter, DoorDash is safe.
Customers must use it with understanding and caution.
Like many other app-based companies, DoorDash takes steps to improve its cybersecurity.
Customers and drivers can do their part by understanding how scammers work.
This way, they can avoid falling into these common traps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions about DoorDash-related scams and activity?
Let us answer your questions!
Can DoorDash call you?
Yes. Sometimes you and your Dasher will need to communicate through phone calls.
DoorDash protects both the driver’s and the customer’s phone numbers during these communications.
Can DoorDash be trusted?
DoorDash is as safe as any other kind of delivery service.
It’s important to exercise awareness and caution to avoid scams.
The company prides itself on good communication and handles any issues that occur.
Learn more about the steps they’ve taken to ensure safety through the pandemic here.
Can DoorDash drivers text you?
If necessary for communication, Dashers can send you texts if you have the capability turned on within the app.
Still, the driver will never see your phone number unless you provide it directly to them.
How to get money back from DoorDash?
Select your order in the app and fill out a refund request through the app.
Refunds can come in the form of a credit to your account or a refund directly to your credit card or debit card.
Final Thoughts
Next time the urge to snack hits, you’ll be ready to use the DoorDash app with confidence.
Make sure to keep these scams and schemes in mind.
Doing so will keep your information and your yummy indulgences protected.
Have you ever experienced a scamming attempt through a delivery app like DoorDash? Let us know about your experience!
Drivers and I’m sure customers are not safe from Door Dash. No third party scammers, just Door Dash. Was a Dasher for about two months. Noticed a charge of $9.99 from Driver Support. Did contact driver support once while dashing. A new-be I assumed Door Dash charges dashers for calling driver support. Never called driver support again until I was billed again. Called Door Dash to see if this is a standard monthly fee for dashers. Door Dash Rep claims no. That Door Dash is charging a monthly fee for my dash pass account & transfers me to “the customer side”. “The customer side” claims this is a “drivers side” issue. I asked to be refunded & to have both the driver & customer accounts to be closed. Door Dash Rep claimed refunds were issued & both accounts are closed. A confirmation email was sent stating the same. No refunds & accounts not closed, the monthly charges continued. Called DD again, Rep claimed DD records show my financial institution contacted DD, refuted the charges & refunds were issued. Called my bank, bank claimed never happened. Bank willing to refute only the last charge & got a refund. Only because I had proof, emails. Legal reasons prevent banks from going any further. If I don’t change my account numbers, the bank can’t help me with the Door Dash scam continuing.
That 3 or 5 or 7 days (depending on the Rep or email) passes for DD issue # expires. Since Dec. 29 every few days DD sends an email asking if issue is resolved. I reply no, another shows up, same. A DD Rep called Jan. 14, I missed it. DD Rep emailed & asked for good time to call & good #. I replied info, DD Rep called Jan. 16 at 10:05 am. DD Rep denied any details of my issue, yet asks how do I know it’s DD charging my account when charge reads driver support bill. Rep go’s here & there, I restate DD admissions & email confirmations, Rep disconnects. DD Rep sends two emails Jan 17, morning/late afternoon. One asking for more details the other claiming not to able to contact me, thus the issue will be discarded.
I replied to both emails. This is the second time sending DD complete details since Dec 29. Replaying DD’s script over & over. First brought to DD’s attention late in Oct, 2021. Since this time DD admitted to charges, claimed refunds, claimed accounts closed, didn’t close accounts, didn’t refund, claimed bank asked for refunds, claimed bank received refunds & now claim that the charges are not DD’s.
I searched for DD driver support bill charges fraud. Found only but no details of this report. I have the emails, do you want to run with them? Or shall I run alone?
In regards to disputing false complaints against drivers, as a driver I can tell you this is pretty much impossible. Unless the customer complains to you personally before contacting support, you have no way of being aware of details of a complaint so you can dispute it. The only way you have to know that someone has complained is to see it in your ratings, and you have no way of knowing what order they were giving bad ratings on or why they did it. This is probably my biggest complaint as a driver, because we are at the mercy of the customers and we have no way of knowing who is complaining or why so that we can dispute it, and it is affecting us and how much money we make.
One of the worst things are the people that will never rate someone above 4 stars because they think no one ever deserves a perfect rating even when they do everything right. People like that should not even rate drivers at all because it’s very unfair to us when we do everything right and then they bring our rating down because of their personal bias.
I had a DasherDirect debit card for approx. 2 months and it was hacked into last night. The hacker was able to change the email address so I could not even get access to the account. They stole 460 dollars from me. At 10:30pm I received a text message saying my email address was changed and if this was not me then I should contact dasherdirect ( no phone number was given). I then was on hold for 20 minutes and was finally able to contact someone. They saw that a person named Carlos took all my money and transferred it into his own account. They stated that this was a scam and since this is the first time I have had this concern I will most likely get my money back. I had to provide evidence through photos of emails and then was told that the fraud department would contact me through email within 24 hours. It has been almost 24 hours and I have not received any communication. I decided to call dasher direct again and all they could do for me is repeat the same process I have already done.
My advice to you is to NOT trust this debit card for your money. They barely have any safety protocols in place. You can bypass the pin, apparently the security is hack-able to retrieve email and password information, there are no security questions that you can input, you can’t freeze the account once notified of possible fraud, and it is apparent that customer service is reading from a script to try and calm you down but not actually doing anything to help you besides filing a report and “escalating it”.
Hello. It’s now 2023 and we Dashers are still being scammed and phished. Here’s what happened to me.
I was scammed as a DoorDash driver and haven’t received any of my earnings yet. It’s been almost one month, and I’m out $440. The minute I realized I was scammed, I called DD customer service. They emailed me with some instructions, and I emailed them back with the information requested. Well, I’m still waiting to receive a reply to my “escalated” case via email. I’ve also called DD multiple times. I was hung up on twice. Other times I was told I would receive the money in my bank account within 2 hours, and if not, to call back to check on the deposit.
I feel I’m definitely being given the run around and am super frustrated with the poor customer service on their part. I’ve been told so many different things to do, at this point I have no confidence I’m going to get my money.
Also, they suspended my DasherDirect card as protection and for some reason can’t get a new one in order to get my money deposited into my account. I’ve changed all of my passwords and am monitoring my email account very closely. I know for a fact the scammers are sending me bogus emails posing as DD support by using the following email address: [email protected]. Beware of any emails from payfare.com. It’s 100% a scam. I’m deleting these emails and have forwarded a couple of them to the real DD support email to give them a head’s up of what’s going on in a Dasher’s world.
It’s scary and maddening. I worked really hard for the earnings and even gave up time on the weekends with my kids to bring home the bacon (single mom here!). DD customer service doesn’t care about any of that and who you are. The company is worth millions of dollars, if not billions, and average jane’s like me are taking a huge hit. I really don’t know at this point what the heck to do.
I’ll try one more time to email DD support, and I’ll report back what happens.