It is easier than people realize for murderers, rapists, and generally non-certified people, to convince patrons that they will be brought home safely.

Hundreds of visitors flocked to Indiana University this past week, for the festivities that are known as “Little 5". That means that hundreds more than usual were calling cabs and ordering Ubers to get around the campus, services that they are often unfamiliar with. It also means that hundreds were there during the unfortunate tragedy that took place, involving a IU Gamma Phi Beta senior.

Hannah Wilson, 22, of Fishers, Indiana, was found dead Friday, in a county outside of Bloomington during one of IU's biggest party weekends of the school year. According to several news reports, the main suspect is Daniel Messel, 49, of Bloomington.

According to Herald Times Online, there have been rumors that Wilson was last seen getting into an Uber car, but they reported that Uber representatives stated that Messel is not, and has never been, affiliated with the company.

“Uber Midwest spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said Messel is not a registered driver or user of Uber, and that the the suspect in question has never had an association with Uber,"" said Abby Tonsing, HTO reporter.

The attack on Wilson is still being investigated, but the scenario raises concerns about organized taxi services, and how trustworthy and reliable they are.

In New York City, a cab is usually safe to take for obvious means: yellow, advertisement dorsal fin, and a certification medallion on the hood. In other cities, like Bloomington, there are different cab companies with different physically distinctive trademarks, and there are also Ubers.

Uber cars are supposed to have a certification seal or sticker on their window or windshield, so that patrons know that they are getting into an approved and certified car. Sometimes however, the seal or sticker is not apparent, and the cars are still safe to ride.

“Boys think it's polite and chivalrous to call for an Uber," sophomore business major Jordan London said. “They call and pay for an Uber from their phone and send the girl home. But what they're really doing is handing this girl off to a complete stranger, most likely a male, by herself, most likely drunk, and boys think that this is the nice, polite thing do. But really, the nice thing to do is to walk the girl home, or get in the cab with her. No one really looks for the sticker, you just get in the car and give them the address."

Some students at UMD say that they don't really think about the possibility of someone posing as a certified driver, they just trust whomever they are getting in the car with. Some, though, say they take precautions when they're off campus, or at home, since they feel that they are more on their own.

“When I take a cab in [NYC], I take a picture of the taxi number and name card and send it to someone so that they have the info of the cab I'm in, in case something happens to me or I go missing," London said.

Not everyone is as proactive and aware as London is, when it comes to transportation safety. Elana Handelman, a sophomore government and politics major, said that her little sister and her friends take Uber cabs to school sometimes, as well as back and forth from each other's houses.

“My sister, who's 15, takes Uber with her friends at home all the time," Handelman said. “They wouldn't think to check for a sticker or signs of authenticity. So yes, there are the drunk college kids who forget to check, but there are also the ignorant little kids, who just don't know any better."