An Omaha DoorDash driver was recently the victim of a scam that swindled him out of $1,100 in wages.

DoorDash drivers are becoming an increasing popular target for financial scams due to their busy schedules and the rising demand for delivery services that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a WOWT news report said. A recent case in Omaha, Neb., highlighted how drivers can be scammed out of their hard-earned money.

DoorDash driver Andrew Dempsey, who works approximately 10 hours a day and drives almost 500 miles a week, was the victim of a scam that cost him more than $1,100; the WOWT report said. The scammers called him pretending to be DoorDash employees. They told him that an order he was about to deliver had been canceled and asked him to click a link to receive full reimbursement for the delivery. Unfortunately, when Dempsey clicked the link, the scammers gained full access to his DoorDash pay account and withdrew the money he had earned so far that week, which totaled $1,100.

Laverne Thrant, Dempsey's mentor, noted that it was a rookie mistake new drivers often make. She explained that scammers will use different tactics to gain access to drivers' accounts, including calling and pretending to be from DoorDash support. Dempsey immediately contacted DoorDash corporate to report the scam, and the company responded quickly. DoorDash offered to repay the full amount of money that Dempsey had lost as a one-time courtesy. The company also reminded him that they would never call him but would only send emails or texts.

Dempsey said that without the company's help, he would have been late paying his bills.

“Learned a hard lesson the hard way,” he told WOWT. “And thanks DoorDash for taking the stress off of me.”

In a statement to 6 On Your Side, DoorDash confirmed that this was a sophisticated scam and that they regularly remind Dashers to keep their account information secure. The company urges drivers never to share their account details and to contact DoorDash support immediately if they receive any requests for that information. While account takeovers and scams are rare, they can still happen. DoorDash advises its drivers to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the company as soon as possible. The company also said that it would continue to offer support to drivers who fall victim to scams in the future.