“Should someone be blackmailed just for giving a driver a bad review?” asked a junior university student this week on Weibo after her photo and phone number were posted on a pornographic website by a malicious Didi driver.
On the evening of July 9, the woman left a one-star review for her driver in Guangzhou, claiming he had a “bad attitude” after he complained to her about the rain, frequent passenger cancellations and her insistence on calling a Didi taxi when traveling such a short distance.
That same night, according to Phoenix New Media, the Didi driver fabricated a story about a past ‘encounter’ with the woman and posted the message, along with her WeChat profile picture and phone number, on a Guangzhou pornographic and escort service site.
At 11am on July 10, the woman received an invitation from a stranger to connect on WeChat with the request: “part time.” She readily accepted the offer without thinking, later explaining that she provides regular part-time domestic and dance tutoring services in the city.
Yet after a brief chat with her new contact, she soon learned he was not interested in her normal services. He told her he had found her photo and phone number on a pornographic website, along with an account from a local taxi driver that described a past sexual encounter with her.
Throughout the next two days, the woman received endless harassing phone calls and invitations to connect on WeChat. On Monday, she contacted the Tianhe Guangzhou Public Security Bureau to report the incident and an investigation was immediately launched.
According to Phoenix New Media, the Didi driver initially agreed to present himself at the Tianhe police station on July 10, but never showed up. His phone had been turned off when police tried to reach him again.
Didi Chuxing is cooperating with the police investigation and was reported as saying the driver’s account has been frozen and he will be permanently banned from registering with Didi in the future.
The most popular Chinese car-hailing app on the mainland, Didi Chuxing penalizes drivers that receive negative reviews by withholding their payment for a week. Such punishment comes in addition to other consequences, such as poor business, that result from a poor Didi rating.
Reporters have found that retaliation is common after passengers leave negative feedback for drivers on apps like Didi or Uber, though such revenge usually comes in the form of abusive phone calls, texts or verbal threats. Nevertheless, it is advisable to take caution when leaving a particularly scathing review and important to keep all personal information, like phone numbers and photos, private.
READ MORE: Didi Chuxing Driver Robs and Murders Shenzhen Woman
[Image via Phoenix New Media]
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