Beam Mobility Caught Deploying 'Phantom' E-Scooters to Evade Fees

- Beam Mobility secretly placed extra 'phantom' e-scooters in Australian and New Zealand cities - Company allegedly provided false data to monitoring app Ride Report to understate scooter numbers - Plan aimed to generate additional $150,000 profit by deploying 1,000 extra scooters in 'best areas' - Cities impose caps on e-scooter numbers to prevent oversaturation and ensure pedestrian safety - Beam last raised $135 million from investors including Affirma Capital and Peak XV Partners Source: [Techcrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/26/beam-mobility-secretly-deployed-phantom-e-scooters-in-australia-and-nz-to-dodge-fees-and-boost-profits/)