Seattle-Area Women Allegedly Raped by Fake Rideshare Driver

King County Sheriff's Office are asking for help identifying this man. KCSO

The King County Sheriff's Office is asking for help identifying a suspect in an alleged rape.

According to the KCSO, on December 16, 2018, a woman was allegedly raped by a man posing as a rideshare driver. Police say the victim voluntarily entered a vehicle thinking it was a rideshare a friend had called for her from a bar in Ballard. The victim stated that on the way to her home, the driver pulled the vehicle over in White Center and raped her.

Law enforcement provided surveillance footage of a person of interest in this case. They describe the suspect as "possibly Hispanic" and said he speaks with an accent. They have been unable to connect the suspect with any rideshare provider.

This announcement from police comes just days after Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina college student, was found murdered after she got into a stranger's car thinking it was an Uber. The alleged driver of that car, Nathaniel Rowland, has been charged with both kidnapping and murder.

Rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber have urged customers to verify their drivers before getting in any vehicle. This can be done using the license plate, as well as the driver's photo.