California Man Scams DoorDash Out of $2.5 Million
A former DoorDash driver and his co-conspirators pulled off a multi-million dollar scam using fake orders, driver accounts, and stolen employee credentials. Here’s how they did it—and what comes next.
Summary
- Scams DoorDash scheme used fake customer and driver accounts to trigger payments for fake deliveries.
- The group exploited employee credentials to manipulate DoorDash’s internal systems.
- The fraud totaled over $2.5 million and was carried out between Nov 2020 and Feb 2021.
How the $2.5 Million DoorDash Scam Worked?
A man from Newport Beach, California, Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme that scams DoorDash out of more than $2.5 million. Along with three others and a former DoorDash employee, the group ran the operation over just a few months from late 2020 to early 2021.
The group created fake customer accounts and placed high-value food orders across Northern California. Then, using stolen employee credentials from former DoorDash worker Tyler Bottenhorn, they reassigned those orders to their own driver accounts. Devagiri would falsely mark the orders as delivered, triggering payments from DoorDash to accounts the group controlled.
Exploiting the Software Loop
What makes this scam even more striking is how Devagiri used DoorDash’s backend software. He would mark fake orders as “complete” to get paid and then quickly switch them back to “in process” to repeat the scam—hundreds of times. The entire loop reportedly took less than five minutes per order. Prosecutors say these repeated manipulations led to millions in fraudulent payouts.
Who Was Involved?
Four people were charged in total:
- Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri – Pleaded guilty on May 13
- Manaswi Mandadapu – Pleaded guilty on May 6
- Matheus Duarte and Hari Vamsi Anne – Scheduled to appear in court July 22
- Tyler Bottenhorn – Former DoorDash employee who provided internal access; pleaded guilty in 2023
What’s Next?
Devagiri faces a potential sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He’s expected to appear in court again on September 16 for a status hearing. Other members of the group await trial, and given the nature of the crime, more charges or consequences could follow based on further investigation.
Conclusion
The case of Devagiri and his group sheds light on the darker side of gig economy platforms. Their ability to repeatedly scam DoorDash using fake accounts and insider access reveals serious loopholes in tech system security. As the case unfolds, it’s a loud wake-up call for platforms to audit, secure, and monitor access like never before.
FAQs
Q: How much money was stolen from DoorDash?
A: Over $2.5 million was fraudulently paid out to the group through fake delivery orders.
Q: How did the scammers trick DoorDash?
A: They used fake customer and driver accounts and insider employee credentials to assign and complete fake orders for payouts.
Q: What sentence does the lead defendant face?
A: Devagiri could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
