Summary
Highlights
Repórter Sábado reveals a lucrative black market for illegally renting out accounts on delivery platforms like Uber Eats, Bolt Food, and Glovo. This unregulated scheme operates through private Facebook and WhatsApp groups, creating unfair competition, promoting illegal immigration, and posing serious risks to customers due to a lack of oversight.
The reporting team successfully infiltrates the illegal sub-rental world by arranging to rent accounts in Lisbon. They present an expired ID, facing initial suspicion, but ultimately pay 80€ to rent two accounts for Glovo and Bolt. This demonstrates the ease with which individuals can operate as delivery drivers without proper identification or authorization.
Experts express concern about the lack of control over individuals using these rented accounts, noting that they could be people fleeing justice who gain access to personal information of customers. The surge in delivery driving, particularly among undocumented immigrants, is due to it being a quick source of income, bypassing legal employment regulations and tax contributions.
The illegal sub-rental of accounts poses multiple risks, including fraud, identity theft, aiding illegal immigration, and even money laundering, especially if drivers lack residency permits. Furthermore, customers' safety is compromised as they cannot verify the identity of the person delivering their food, leaving them vulnerable to potential tampering or misconduct.
Social media groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger are central to this black market, where account rentals are advertised alongside equipment like motorcycles, helmets, and delivery bags. This easy access to 'opportunities' attracts desperate individuals, often immigrants, who are exploited by account owners, having to give a significant portion of their earnings for the rental.
The Repórter Sábado team successfully performs deliveries using the rented Glovo and Bolt accounts. They easily pick up and deliver food without being recognized or questioned by restaurants or customers, demonstrating the significant security loophole in the platforms' verification processes and the anonymity afforded to unauthorized drivers.
Many individuals, especially those without proper documents, resort to using illegal accounts. Some even rent multiple accounts to maximize earnings, leading to unfair competition for legal drivers. Ex-drivers highlight the use of 'fake GPS' to manipulate location, indicating widespread ingenuity in circumventing platform rules. Drivers typically earn around 250€ weekly but lose 40€ to account rentals.
In response to inquiries, Glovo, Bolt, and Uber claim to prioritize security, verify documents, and use advanced technology like real-time selfies to confirm identities. However, the investigation clearly shows that these measures are insufficient. The illegal sub-rental market continues to thrive, enabling precarious work, illegal immigration, and unfair competition, demonstrating a significant gap in enforcement and regulation.