OKC Rideshare Driver Says Scammer Took $200 Of Her Earnings

An Oklahoma City mother says she was scammed while working as a rideshare driver. She said the scammer posed as a UBER support employee and took all her earnings for the night.

“That was pretty traumatizing,” said Uber driver Desiree Purnell.

Purnell says she has a routine.

“Before I leave my driveway, I say a prayer,” Purnell said.

It’s a prayer for safety during her shifts as a driver.

“There's so many fear factors that come with it,” Purnell said. “It's scary, you just don't know who's getting in your car.”

The mother of five takes the risk each time she's on the road to supplement her income.

“The little bit of extra money that I do make, it goes towards taking care of my family,” she said.

During her drives on Sunday, she said her livelihood was threatened, and not by someone who got into her car, but someone who called her through the Uber app.

“The person said they were Uber support,” she said.

Purnell said the person on the phone told her a rider complained she was drinking alcohol and speeding. She was told to pull over and verify some information.

“It was so real in that moment,” she said.

After nearly an hour, the person said she was in the clear and would be compensated $150 dollars for her time. However, once they got her Uber account information, they took her day's wages, she says.

“Immediately I saw in the app where my funds had gone from one something to none,” she said. “I was shocked, I sat in my car, and I cried for hours.”

She lost nearly $200. What was worse, it was her daughter's 7th birthday.

“I did all of that and then I didn't have anything,” she said. “This is the whole reason why I’m out driving at four in the morning to make sure she has the birthday she deserves.”

Parnell also wants to warn other drivers.

“I know that it's a thing, I know that it's out there, but why did I not see the red flags,” Parnell said. “It's sad and the thing is, I just want other people to be aware of what's happening in our society, unfortunately people are taking from other people.”

Parnell said she contacted Uber to dispute the transfer and was told the investigation would take up to 90 days to resolve.

Update: Tommy and Nancy Young saw this story on Monday. The couple met Desiree Purnell to give her money to make up for what she lost. Their church, Sunnylane Family Church in Del City also gave her an additional donation. The couple said the story touched their hearts and they just wanted to make sure Desiree could give her daughter the birthday she deserves.