Vegas Airport Warns Rideshare Passengers How to Stay Safe
Posted on: June 6, 2025, 05:18h.
Last updated on: June 6, 2025, 05:37h.
- Las Vegas Airport has installed signs at its rideshare pickup points
- The signs suggest steps by which passengers can ensure they’re they’re entering the right vehicle
- The signs were provided in partnership with the What’s My Name Foundation, established by the parents of a young woman murdered by a fake rideshare driver in 2019
This week, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas installed signs in the Uber and Lyft pickup areas outside terminals 1 and 3 warning rideshare passengers how to avoid getting in the wrong vehicle.
The signs encourage passengers to follow a protocol called “SAMI.” It stands for:
- S — Stop before getting into a vehicle
- A — Ask your driver “what’s my name” to confirm they’re the driver assigned to you
- M — Match the make, model and license plate of the car with the one displayed in the app
- I — Inform a friend or loved one of your ride details
The initiative was created in honor of Samantha “Sami” Josephson, whose parents, Seymour and Marci Josephson, established the nonprofit What’s My Name Foundation following their daughter’s murder by a fake rideshare driver in 2019.
Sami was a 21-year-old student at the University of South Carolina taking a short ride when Nathaniel Rowland pretended to be the rideshare driver she booked. According to police, Rowland trapped Sami in his car with childproof locks that could only be opened from the outside, then stabbed her more than 100 times and dumped her body in remote woods. He was found guilty and is serving life in prison.
Last year, Harry Reid staffers told KTNV-TV/Las Vegas that rideshare impostors commonly cruise the airport loop during busier pickup times, asking people who are tired of waiting if they have cash for a ride.
These drivers are not licensed by rideshare or taxi companies, which means they are neither background-checked nor tracked by any organization.
“We’re honored to support this mission and help educate our community about safe rideshare practices,” a spokesperson for Harry Reid said in a statement.
Harry Reid serviced more than 58K passengers in 2024, setting a new annual record.
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