Old video of Uber attack falsely linked to Edmonton

Published on September 24, 2025 at 22:54
2 min read
By Gwen Roley, AFP Canada

Amid heightened focus on immigration to Canada, social media users are spreading a clip of a rideshare driver being assaulted at gunpoint and alleging the attack was perpetrated by newcomers to Alberta province in September 2025. But the incident actually took place in 2022 in Houston, Texas.

"Edmonton Uber Drivers must be careful!" says the caption on a September 11, 2025 Instagram video.

The clip shows security footage from inside a car in which Black passengers in the backseat pull a gun on the driver. The video also shows external dashcam footage as the driver pulls away.

The video also spread on TikTok and on X, where some posters commented on the purported immigration status of the perpetrators and others claimed Canada was experiencing a crime wave tied to newcomers.

Screenshot of an Instagram post taken September 23, 2025

Screenshot of an X post taken September 23, 2025

As Canada's previous pro-immigration consensus frays, AFP has debunked numerous misleading claims accusing immigrants of illegal activity or connecting the severity of crime rates to new arrivals.

In April 2025, the city of Edmonton added a mandatory training requirement for rideshare drivers. A city representative told local media the courses were aimed at increasing safety and accessibility for passengers.

But the clip of the assault in the Uber has nothing to do with Canada.

A reverse image search revealed the footage was originally shared by a Houston, Texas crime-watchers account in relation to an October 2022 attack (archived here). According to media reports, law enforcement eventually charged two suspects -- one of whom was a minor -- with carjacking and aggravated robbery.

DRAMATIC VIDEO!! We need your help to identify the suspects wanted in an armed robbery of a rideshare drive on Oct. 18 at 2929 Dunvale.

If you recognize them, please call @CrimeStopHOU w/info. @houstonpolice

Full story at https://t.co/eJba6a6DG5 pic.twitter.com/U38Z4EfUQY
— Houston Police Robbery (@hpdrobbery) January 3, 2023

One user, responding to a post that misrepresented the clip as a scene from Edmonton, noted that a building with a sign for the cellular company Verizon can be seen at one point in the footage (archived here). Verizon, an American company, does not offer phone or internet services in Canada (archived here).

AFP geolocated the shot with the Verizon store to Rolido Drive in Houston (archived here).

Screenshot of a TikTok taken September 24 with highlights added by AFP

Screenshot of Google Maps take September 24, 2025 with highlights added by AFP

Many posts mischaracterizing the video display a TikTok handle for the account "uber.edmonton," which has since removed the clip from its page. The Canadian Press reported that the same account had previously misrepresented footage from Virginia and Singapore as recordings captured in Alberta.

Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here.

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