California DoorDash driver pleads guilty to stealing $2.5M in deliveries scam

Published: Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 6:11 pm

DoorDash Driver Admits to $2.5M Delivery Scam in California

A former DoorDash driver has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a sophisticated scheme that defrauded the food delivery giant out of over $2.5 million. Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, 30, of Newport Beach, California, admitted in a San Jose federal court on Tuesday to conspiring to commit wire fraud.

According to federal prosecutors, Devagiri worked with three other individuals between 2020 and 2021 to execute the elaborate scam. The scheme involved exploiting vulnerabilities within DoorDash's system to generate payments for deliveries that never happened.

Here's how it worked: Devagiri used customer accounts to place high-value orders. He then leveraged an employee's credentials to access DoorDash software, manually reassigning these orders to driver accounts controlled by himself and his accomplices. These fraudulent driver accounts would then falsely report the orders as delivered, triggering payments from DoorDash. Devagiri would further manipulate the system, changing the "delivered" status back to "in process" to repeat the process, maximizing the fraudulent payouts.

Devagiri is the third individual to be convicted in connection with this conspiracy. Another participant, a former DoorDash employee, pleaded guilty to the same charge in November 2023. Devagiri now faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 16th.

BNN's Perspective: This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by tech companies in combating fraud. While the scale of this scam is significant, it also underscores the importance of robust security measures and internal controls. It's a reminder that even seemingly secure systems can be vulnerable to exploitation, and companies must remain vigilant in protecting themselves and their customers. The severity of the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and serves as a deterrent to others considering similar actions.

Keywords: DoorDash fraud, delivery scam, Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, wire fraud, California, Newport Beach, San Jose, food delivery, stolen deliveries, fraud conviction, DoorDash driver, delivery driver scam, delivery app fraud, online fraud, federal court, conspiracy, sentencing, $2.5 million fraud, delivery app security.

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