Uber driver scams Delhi passenger by showing fake screenshot, charges double fare

A recent incident in Delhi has brought to light a concerning scam involving an Uber driver who allegedly charged a passenger double the fare using a fake payment screenshot.

The incident occurred on the night of March 24, when a man, along with his father, booked an Uber ride from Indira Gandhi International Airport to their home. The app initially quoted a fare of Rs. 340, but upon reaching their destination, the driver demanded Rs. 648, justifying the hike with waiting charges.

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The passenger, known on Reddit as @Why_am_i_alive0, shared his ordeal, stating, "so i booked that , when i reached my destination the driver asked me 648, I asked what ?!! That’s almost double the cost of which I booked for. I asked for the screen which showed the payment to confirm."

"bhai app pe toh 340 dikha rha tha jis time book kiya tha ab 648 kaise ho gye?” the passenger asked.

The driver showed him a screenshot to "prove" the new fare, which included some dubious waiting charges. The driver replied, “Yahan par toh wait charges dikha rha hai”. Although we didn’t even encounter traffic or stopped the car during the trip, the customer said.

Despite his doubts, the man paid the fare to avoid confrontation late at night. However, he noticed discrepancies in the screenshot, including a misspelled name and two Uber app icons, suggesting the use of a spoof app.

"I didn’t create a scene at that time it was around 11:30. I simply asked for the payment screen. He was hesitating but I convinced him. I took a photo and came back, the next day I noticed the photo and found a few things," the passenger mentioned in a Reddit post. 

Upon contacting Uber customer care, The man was informed that the driver had reported collecting only Rs. 127.48. 

"I knew something was fishy so I opened the app and it showed ₹127.48 for the trip 😂😂😂😂😂😂. I contacted support and they said the driver reported that he collected 127.48 only. I have only got a refund of only ₹127.08," hr added.

The incident has sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many users sharing their own experiences of similar scams.

"Same thing happened with me once when i came back from IGI airport... Driver showed me the same kind of screen as you." a user wrote.

"That’s the reason I use ONLY the online payment method(UPI). I get the pop-up; there is no need to pay immediately; I can do it even days later or till I need to book another cab." another wrote. Yet another user confessed, "Okay, this has happened with me, and I paid 4-5 times maybe!"