New Lyft safety feature requires extra form of ID for riders using anonymous payment method

Amid a rise in carjackings in Minneapolis, rideshare company Lyft has added a new safety feature to help protect its drivers.

The company said Tuesday that it has rolled out a feature in Minneapolis that will require an additional form of identification from riders who use anonymous payment methods, such as Venmo, PayPal, gift cards or prepaid cards.

Lyft says using an anonymous form of payment has been more frequently linked to fraud and other high-risk behavior.

The rollout of the feature comes as carjackings and attempted carjackings have spiked in Minneapolis. The city told KSTP carjackings were up 38% this year, as of last week. Then, six more were reported in a span of five hours on Friday night, 16 total were reported over the weekend and six additional reports were filed in just over 90 minutes on Monday.

Police also specifically urged ride-share operators to take extra precautions due to a recent rise in crime targeting them.

Lyft said it is also in contact with Minneapolis police to keep drivers safe and has other safety features to help further that goal.