CBS News California Investigates found that some drivers working for food delivery and rideshare applications appeared to be using accounts that did not belong to them, raising concerns about background checks and customer safety. One democratic lawmaker is pushing for stronger protections.

The investigation found that accounts for companies such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash can be bought or rented online without providing identification.

The investigation began after viewers emailed their concerns to CBS LA's Investigative Team, describing situations in which the person delivering their food or groceries did not resemble the profile photo shown in the app.

Buying an account means a person is taking full ownership of it, without returning it. Renting means the account is being used for a fixed amount of time. 

Sergio Avedian, a longtime Uber and Lyft driver and contributor to "The Rideshare Guy" YouTube channel, said complaints about fraudulent profiles have been circulating for years.

He was able to find listings on Facebook Marketplace and Instagram advertising Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Uber Eats accounts for rent. Avedian said that the issue is not just about people stealing identities or social security numbers; the danger to the consumer is much greater.

"I can buy myself a ready-to-go account to either drive Uber, Lyft, or deliver," Avedian said. "I'll just pay the middleman a few hundred dollars and I'm delivering or driving passengers."

Avedian said he could purchase accounts of fake people and from stolen identities.

When asked why people would rent or buy identities instead of applying themselves, Avedian said they are not able to be approved on their own. He said many of the individuals using rented or bought accounts likely would not pass the background checks required by the platforms.

Avedian said the main question is: "Is the consumer safe?"

CBS LA reporters contacted several online sellers advertising delivery accounts through Facebook Marketplace and quickly received responses. The reporters did not identify themselves but inquired only as interested renters. One seller, communicating in Spanish, allegedly offered to help applicants bypass background check requirements and said not having a driver's license was "no problem."

Another seller also said a driver's license was not required and all they needed was a photo without filters.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who has pushed rideshare companies to strengthen safety measures, said the findings raised serious concerns.

"I'm looking at what we can do so that we ensure people who are having background checks are the people that they say they are as background checks are being conducted," Dingell said.

Asked whether rideshare companies may ultimately need to verify drivers in person, Dingell replied, "Yes, and checking IDs. It's a serious issue that's got to be addressed."

Still, Dingell acknowledged that even stronger identity verification measures may not fully prevent people from renting, buying or sharing online accounts.

"This is the first time that I'm aware of it, and I will be immediately asking questions," she said. "I think everybody's vulnerable."

According to Uber, the company coordinated about 3.6 billion rides and deliveries within the first quarter of 2026.

Avedian said that face-to-face meetings with each person would be difficult because of the scale.

"They should but the scale is so large that I don't think they're going to," he said. "It's impossible to vet everyone."

The California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees rideshare companies in the state, said that in the past two years it has received four complaints against Uber and one against Lyft for drivers using stolen identities to set up an account.

A spokesperson for Uber said fraud is a complex issue and bad actors find new ways of scamming and defrauding companies. The company said it is not immune to societal challenges, including identity theft. 

In 2024, in an effort to improve consumer safety, California legislators passed a new law that requires delivery platforms to provide customers the name and a picture of the driver, but there's no mention of the sale or rent of delivery accounts.     

Charles Bledsoe lives in an RV in California's high desert and relies on delivery services because of mobility issues. He claims that during one of his delivery orders, the person who showed up at his door did not match the online profile and tried to force their way into his home.

"I noticed the profile picture on the app showed a female named Kayla," Bledsoe said. "And when the driver got here and I let him in, it was not a female and there was nobody else in the car."

Bledsoe said the driver attempted to force his way into the RV before he displayed a firearm.

"I couldn't have physically dealt with him," Bledsoe said. "I think he'd have been able to overpower me pretty easily and when he saw the weapon, he backed off and went back out of the motor home and he left."

Bledsoe said he reported the incident to DoorDash and received a refund for his order.

"What Mr. Bledsoe experienced is deeply concerning and something no one should have to go through," a DoorDash spokesperson said. "We have permanently removed the associated Dasher account and are prepared to support law enforcement with any investigation."

Since the incident, Bledsoe said he began tracking how often drivers fail to match their profiles. He said that 8 out of 10 times, the drivers did not match.

To test the claims, CBS LA placed eight delivery orders through DoorDash and Uber Eats for several hours on a Friday in March. Two of the eight DoorDash deliveries involved drivers who did not appear to match the profile photos shown in the app.

In one case, an order from Jamba Juice was assigned to a bearded man named Aram, but the person who arrived appeared significantly younger and clean-shaven.

"He was much younger, but I looked deep into his eyes and it's not the same guy," a reporter said during the investigation.

In another delivery, a Juice Crafters order was supposed to be delivered by a blonde woman pictured in the app. Instead, a young man arrived with the order.

In a statement, DoorDash said that "account sharing is a clear violation of our policies, and we have zero tolerance for it." The company added that it permanently removed the accounts identified during the investigation.

"The buying and selling of Dasher accounts is strictly prohibited and is an attack on the trust of our community," a spokesperson said. "These listings are often outright scams."

In statements to CBS News California Investigates, Lyft said it strictly prohibits account sharing and the buying or selling of accounts.

"We take fraudulent activity very seriously. Lyft's Terms of Service strictly prohibit fraudulent activity of any kind, including account sharing or buying and selling Lyft accounts, and such behavior can and does lead to a permanent ban from the platform," Lyft's company statement said.

The statement added that the company has policies in place that include "rigorous and thorough background checks and screenings" to help prevent fraud. Some of these policies include, annual criminal background checks, mandatory community safety education and continuous driving record checks.

A spokesperson for Uber said that the company is "committed to a platform built on trust."

"Account sharing is never allowed, and we have robust safeguards in place from account creation to trip completion designed to help verify that the person using an account is the rightful owner," the statement said.

Uber said all drivers and couriers must provide a valid photo ID, social security number, pass a background check and regularly verify their identity through "Real-Time ID Check, which uses selfies to confirm that the person behind the wheel or making a delivery is the same person that passed our multi-step screening process."

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it reviewed the accounts identified by CBS LA and took action against those who violated its fraud policies.