If you're anything like us, a string of foxy ladies have been posting coupon codes for Lyft, the mustachioed rideshare service, in many of your Facebook Events.
Writing like they're sharing a helpful hint to some galpals ("Try Lyft -- it's like a cab, but costs less"), the coupon patterers post a code that gets new users who download the Lyft app $25 in free rides.
The coupon posts feel rather skeezy, and not only because they're heavily promotional, scripted and repeated on numerous Facebook events.
See also: Lyft Never Told New Drivers It's Technically Illegal, Not Licensed in St. Louis
The Facebook users posting them -- typically beautiful young women with very few friends, overly eclectic taste in sports, music and movies and an out-of-state home address -- appear to be ghost profiles that disappear after a few weeks. None of the coupon posters contacted by Daily RFT responded to Facebook messages, and their profiles no longer exist.
Lyft also has a restraining order pending against it in a St. Louis circuit court, meaning the app is technically disabled here until a judge's ruling. So even if you do download the app, you can't use the $25 in free rides unless the judge rules that Lyft can operate in St. Louis or the company applies for a taxi license.
So Daily RFT reached out to Lyft to explain where this zealous social-media marketing campaign came from, and the answer is as boardroom boring as you'd expect:
Lyft passengers and drivers across the country are very excited about our referral program, which gives each individual a unique code that they can use to grant a free ride up to $25 to any new Lyft passengers (for every new passenger that uses their code, they get a free ride too). This is why you've seen so many coupon codes on Facebook.
Lyft's "Give a Ride, Get a Ride" program offers free rides to anyone who gets a non-Lyft user to download the app, which is the only way riders can use Lyft. Riders are encouraged to share their personalized code via e-mail, text message and social media.
So there you have it. The people posting in your Facebook events are just catfishing spammers trying to earn free ride credits. We have a feeling you'll see coupons for penis enlargements and Nigerian kindgoms next.
Follow Lindsay Toler on Twitter at @StLouisLindsay. E-mail the author at [email protected].
