A harrowing experience of doxxing following a review I left after an inDrive ride.
When I left a review on inDrive after a ride on Sunday, 16th March, I was unaware that it would snowball into something insidious a few days later. On 19th March, a torrent of calls, messages, and WhatsApp messages cursing me and my family overwhelmed me over a review I’d been assured was anonymous.
During the ride, and because I was quite familiar with the route, I told the driver that he missed a turn to my destination. He insisted on continuing, claiming that he was following the map. I conceded, and let him drive to the destination the map led us to. When we arrived, the house number was admittedly correct, but it was not my destination. I politely informed the driver that we needed to turn around and find the actual destination. He once again argued that he followed the map, while I insisted that it wasn’t my destination because I was familiar with it. After he dropped me at my actual destination, I gave a two-star review, because I was unhappy with the service. I promptly forgot about it and went about my day.
However, three days later, I got a text from an unknown number, asking me If I knew why people sleep without waking up. Finding it odd that a stranger asked me such a question, I asked them to identify themselves. He proceeded to show me the review I left, and when I told him I meant what I said on my review. He then claimed to “make me famous.” Annoyed and alarmed at the fact that he had access to my number, I blocked his access to me on WhatsApp.
In less than ten minutes, my phone started blowing up. I got calls every minute from multiple numbers, WhatsApp messages, and text messages filled with curses. I reached out to the in-app support on inDrive immediately, to no avail. However, I received generic apologetic messages and a suggestion to “block the numbers.”
In fear for my safety and for documentation, I made a thread on Twitter detailing what was happening.
Posting this here just so everyone can be aware that @inDrive employs drivers who harass you and send their friends to harass you over a review. I’ve been fielding calls from this guy and his friends all day because I left an honest review after a ride on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/CpDT3dWOUl
— asabi (@uxtobiaf) March 19, 2025
I knew immediately that the driver must have doxxed me and shared my number online or in a group. I wasn’t aware of the extent of it until one of the drivers shared a screenshot of a Facebook post. In the post, the driver claimed I worked with a “task force” and had tried to set him up. As suspected, he had also shared my number.
This driver lied and doxxed me on Facebook because I left a bad review. These are the kind of drivers you employ @inDrive https://t.co/SoVzMJnbs4 pic.twitter.com/A2QhWTb510
— asabi (@uxtobiaf) March 19, 2025
InDrive’s infamous reputation
I took an InDrive this afternoon from my house to Midas. Apparently Midas has two locations, so he took me to the second location which wasn’t far from the first one. The original ride was 6500 and i paid him 8k And he assaulted me. @inDrive pic.twitter.com/LrxBiW4CzJ
— The Menace
(@sea_4_emgodz) March 20, 2025
In my conversations with the inDrive representative via in-app support, I asked why this was happening if reviews are completely anonymous, and drivers cannot access information on who left what review. It’s concerning that in a clear privacy breach, drivers seem to have access to passenger’s phone numbers, especially after the ride has ended.
On no account should drivers be initiating contact with passengers after the completion of a trip, except for the purpose of returning lost items. This is surely a policy breach and it’s concerning
— Dee (@dee_ember70) March 19, 2025
Even more concerning is the fact that many women have had less than favourable experiences with inDrive drivers; with everything ranging from assault to attempted kidnapping to cyberbullying from drivers.
Hello @inDrive your driver Mr Alexander seems to have anger issues
He hit me and called me an Ashawo, after complimenting my skin and how fine I looked immediately I entered his car
— Egovin
(@Kylareetarh) February 24, 2025
When a customer care representative from the company finally called me, I asked questions about vetting drivers, or the guaranteed anonymity of leaving reviews. None of these questions was addressed. I reached out to inDrive’s country representative but never received a response.
Cyberbullying as a weapon of misogyny
Misogyny is not new to women in Nigeria, and cyberbullying is a form of gender-based violence that many women face in Nigeria. It’s a growing concern, fuelled by the rise of social media and online anonymity. Women, especially public figures, journalists, and activists, often face harassment, threats, and body-shaming, making digital spaces hostile.
Gender-based cyberbullying frequently includes misogynistic attacks, doxxing, and revenge porn, aimed at silencing or intimidating women. Although laws exist to fight cyberbullying, the lack of strict enforcement of cybercrime laws allows perpetrators to act with impunity, leaving many women vulnerable.
According to Paradigm Initiative, “Reports from the Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria have shown that there has been a 149% rise in reports of gender-based violence from March to April 2020 in 23 out of 36 states in Nigeria in which data is available.” In a study conducted by Gatefield, on cyberbullying against women, they found that 58% of Nigerian women have experienced cyberbullying.
Misinformation fuels online harm against women.
Misinformation fuels harassment and endangers Nigerian women, spreading false narratives that incite defamation, violence, and online abuse with little accountability.
Though I got word that the Facebook post was deleted when someone countered it with my Twitter post, I wondered one thing: why did nobody on that group try to verify if the information was true? How many more women has this happened to?
My number will forever be out there, attached to printed defamation against my name and person. It was a very distressing experience that ruined my day and made me scared for my safety. I’m still getting the odd call from random numbers.
Though the inDrive representative assured me over the phone that the driver’s account has been restricted, and disciplinary action has also been taken, I’ve resolved to pursue this with the law as well. Consequences for actions such as doxxing and cyberbullying should be immediate and swift.
