Local carpooling and private-hire car service app Ryde has been the victim of 2,000 “phantom bookings” over the past six weeks, according to a post on their Facebook page yesterday. What’s more, the company has alleged in a police report seen by Coconuts Singapore that at least some of those bookings originated from an IP address belonging to rival Grab.
The fake bookings came to light after numerous drivers complained of fake accounts booking rides on RydeX, the company’s ride-hailing app. According to Ryde, the deception resulted in lost driver income exceeding $50,000.
Explaining that it had lodged a police report on June 26 to “bring such unlawful acts to light,” Ryde also said it had alerted the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, and the Land Transport Authority.
The police report filed by Ryde specifically names Grab as one of three companies with IP addresses to which the phantom bookings had been traced.
Ryde’s Facebook post played things a bit closer to the vest, simply pointing out that IP addresses tied to the bookings originated from locations in Midview City and The Herencia, where Grab has driver centers.
Not everyone was quick to jump on board the theory, when some netizens — not privy to the police report — questioning what appeared to be mere insinuation, as well as the possible bias that could be inherent in an investigation conducted by Ryde.
Others, however, were quick to point a finger at Grab.
A Grab spokeswoman told Coconuts Singapore only that the company is “investigating the matter.”
