A Spark driver was recently scammed. So he decided to share what happened to him in an effort to help others avoid the same situation.
TikTok user BynPace (@bynpace) recounts what happened to him while sitting in his car.
“I recently signed up for Spark and have been using them for about a month. And I like them a lot,” the driver says up front.
He then adds, “But tonight … I got scammed.”
Spark Driver is a platform used by Walmart, which allows independent drivers to earn money by shopping for and delivering orders. Customers can place orders through the app, which are redirected to Spark drivers.
Drivers can accept or deny requests as they need, which gives them greater freedom over their schedule. They can also qualify for rewards tiers through the Spark Driver Rewards Program. Drivers rack up miles that they can reimburse for cellular discounts, a free month-long Walmart+ membership, and more.
The TikToker says that the app has been great to work with and provided him with income on the side.
The Spark scam
The Spark driver explains he recently accepted an order for $11 but immediately noticed some strange details.
“It was literally for two random items, and [the store] was right down the road [from the delivery address],” he says.
Nevertheless, he says he shopped for the items and made his way to the address.
“It was all dark, there was nobody there. And it said that I needed to hand the order to the customer,” he says.
He says as he was trying to get in touch with the customer, he got an incoming call. The driver claims the person on the phone knew information about the order, including the name of the customer, so he assumed it was Spark customer service.
“They said there was something going on in the area where Spark drivers had been sharing bank information and using it for something they weren’t supposed to be using it for. And he said, ‘We need to verify that you’re not one of those drivers.’”
The driver says he divulged his account login code to the caller, after which they instructed him to return the order.
“All of it seemed totally legit, like it was Spark. Until the moment that I got three notifications that my account had been drained of all the money,” he says.
He warns other drivers to check the details of orders that they accept and not to believe anyone who calls them, claiming to be from Spark.
Viewers react to the grift
The video received over 58,000 views on TikTok. But several viewers seemed to already be aware of the scam that the Spark driver fell for.
“Spark NEVER calls ppl..red flag if u ever get a call…they’re different than doordash,” one person said.
“This same scam has been going on since mid September,” another wrote.
“I’m a spark driver and thankfully this hasn’t happened to me. But this scam has been around a while. join in on the FB spark groups and you’ll see all kinds of stuff to watch out for there,” a third advised.
Several users were also grateful for the advice.
“Thanks for the warning! I am a spark driver on the side,” one said.
“Been doing Spark for two years and never had this happen! Crazy! Thanks for making us aware,” another wrote.
@bynpace Don’t fall for this spark scam #spark #deliverydriver #scam #scammer @WalmartSparkDelivery ♬ original sound – BynPace
The Daily Dot reached out to the Spark driver via TikTok direct message and to Walmart via an online contact form.
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