#WHATSMYNAME FOUNDATION LAUNCHES PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT PROMOTING RIDESHARE SAFETY

Joe Gatto, Darius Rucker, Jason Alexander & Bob Saget Commit to Helping Prevent Another Tragedy

May 20, 2021

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ -- Celebrities Joe Gatto, Darius Rucker, Jason Alexander, and Bob Saget are participating in a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) series which focuses on increasing awareness of Rideshare Safety. The goal of the PSA series is to prevent a tragedy like what happened to Samantha Josephson, who was killed by a fake Rideshare driver two years ago.

On March 29, 2019, Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old senior at the University of South Carolina, was kidnapped and murdered when she was targeted by a person posing as a Rideshare driver. Immediately following this unfathomable tragedy, Samantha’s parents, Seymour and Marci Josephson, set out to educate others on the importance of ride share safety so that no other family would have to suffer this kind of loss.

The release of the new Rideshare PSA series arrives as the U.S. is projected to experience significant increases in Memorial Day travel. According to a AAA Memorial Day forecast published this week, more than 37 million people are expected to travel for the Memorial Day holiday weekend -- a huge increase over last year's 20 million, which will fuel additional rideshare traffic for companies like Uber and Lyft as well.

“I implore everyone to follow these simple steps before getting into a Rideshare vehicle. What happened to Samantha Josephson should never happen again,” declares Actor/Producer Joe Gatto in the PSA.

In addition to Joe Gatto, Singer/Songwriter Darius Rucker, Actor Jason Alexander and Comedian Bob Saget have joined the Campaign. Several other well known celebrities will be added as well.

"No family should ever have to experience the heartbreak we endured when we learned what happened to our daughter that fateful night," said Seymour Josephson, founder of the #WHATSMYNAME Foundation. “This PSA focused on Rideshare Safety represents another initiative to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

The #WHATSMYNAME Foundation is seeking additional partners to expand the reach and impact of this new Rideshare Safety PSA. Please contact Seymour Josephson for information at whatsmyname.sj@gmail.com.

About #WHATSMYNAME Foundation

The #WHATSMYNAME Foundation is a 501C non-profit organization that was established in honor of their daughter, Samantha Josephson, who was kidnapped and murdered during her senior year at the University of South Carolina by a man posing as an Uber driver. The Foundation’s goal is to educate the world about rideshare safety best practices so that no other family will have to suffer this kind of tragedy.

For additional information, please visit www.whatsmyname.org.

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North Wildwood Police Aligns With #WHATSMYNAME Foundation to Enhance Rideshare Safety

March 16, 2021

In The North Wildwood Police Department has partnered with the #WHATSMYNAME Foundation by purchasing street signs to educate the public about Sami’s Law, legislation signed by Governor Phil Murphy to enhance safety for rideshare passengers by requiring additional identification for drivers.

In 2019, Samantha Josephson, a 21 year-old senior at the University of South Carolina from New Jersey, was kidnapped and murdered when she was targeted by a person posing as a rideshare driver. Immediately following this unfathomable tragedy, Samantha's parents, Seymour and Marci Josephson, set out to educate others on the importance of ride share safety so that no other family would have to suffer this kind of loss. The #WHATSMYNAME Foundation was established in honor of their daughter, Samantha.

The signs have been placed in Rideshare Zones throughout North Wildwood. Rideshare Zones are places where there are bars, restaurants, or other places where people congregate. The acronym S.A.M.I., which is on the signs, stands for:

(S) STOP - Plan ahead. Before you request a ride, think about where you're headed and review the safety features in the app so you know how to use them. (A) ASK - Ask your driver " What’s My Name? " to confirm they have booked a trip with you through the ride sharing app. (M) MATCH - Match the make, model and license plate of the car with the one displayed in the app. (I) INFORM - Share the details of your trip with a friend. Utilize the "share status" function in your ride sharing app.

RIDE-SHARING BILL NAMED FOR NJ WOMAN KILLED BY FAKE UBER DRIVER GETS NEW CHANCE TO PASS

From NJ.COM - Feb 21, 2021

In the last Congress, Marci and Seymour Josephson saw the U.S. House pass without opposition legislation named for their late daughter, murdered after getting into a fake Uber car while at college.

But the Senate never took up the measure and it failed to become law.

Now Rep. Chris Smith, who counts the Josephsons as his constituents, is trying again. Smith has reintroduced what is known as “Sami’s Law,” requiring vehicles for ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft clearly be identified before a passenger gets in.

The new legislation would set up a digital access system to allow passengers to verify the ride-sharing car in advance.

“Lives are at stake and people, especially women, who use rideshare services are vulnerable to sexual assault and other crimes,” said Smith, R-4th Dist. “The Josephsons have made great progress educating ride share customers about potential dangers, but none of us will rest until the modest and effective Sami’s Law protocols are enacted and the public is better protected.”

Lyft said it took safety seriously.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, which is why we’re always investing in new features and policies to protect drivers and riders,” spokeswoman Ashley Adams said. “We will continue to work with safety experts as we seek to tackle complex issues and enhance safety across the transportation industry.”

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lyft more than doubled its lobbying to $2.2 million in 2020 from $930,000 in 2019, while Uber’s spending rose to $2.6 million from $2.4 million as both companies weighed in on the bill, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

In 2019, Samantha Josephson of Robbinsville, a senior at the University of South Carolina, got into a car she thought was her Uber. Instead, the driver kidnapped and murdered her, according to police. A person was arrested and charged with murder.

The Josephsons began lobbying Congress to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

“No family should have to endure what the Josephsons have,” said the bill’s chief Democratic sponsor, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. “We can’t stop every family tragedy, but hopefully Sami’s law will establish safety protocols that protect Uber, Lyft and other ride share customers.”

The bill also would create a Department of Transportation advisory council to make recommendations for ride share safety standards, make it illegal to sell ride-share signage, and require studies by the Government Accountability Office on incidents of assault by both passengers and drivers and on the background checks conducted by ride service companies.

Co-sponsors include House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., and Albio Sires, D-8th Dist.