MC Impact: Bengaluru cab driver arrested for scamming airport passengers with fake fare screenshot

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) police arrested a 32-year-old cab driver on February 15 for allegedly duping multiple airport passengers over months using a fake fare screenshot.

Following Moneycontrol's investigation that brought to light the scam carried out by cab driver Bharath Gowda, an FIR was registered against the accused on February 13. Police have urged other affected passengers to come forward and file complaints.

According to the police, police Gowda scammed unsuspecting passengers with a fake screenshot that displayed a fare of Rs 5,194, which he had saved on his smartphone.

The complaint leading to the arrest was lodged by Loiyum Khuman, a resident of Tavarekere in south Bengaluru, on February 13.

Also, read: MC Impact: Bengaluru police registers FIR against cab driver who scammed airport passengers using a fake screenshot

An FIR was registered against cab driver Bharath Gowda

Khuman in his complaint stated he took a cab on January 5, around 8 am, from the Uber zone at Kempegowda International Airport after dropping off a friend. Posing as an Uber driver, Gowda dropped him at his residence in Tavarekere.

Fake screenshot of Rs 5194

At the end of the trip, Gowda refused to accept the app fare (Rs 914) which was displayed before the trip, and insisted on a payment of Rs 5,194, supported by the fake screenshot. Despite an argument, Khuman was forced to make the payment via UPI. Upon returning to the city on February 13, he filed a complaint at the KIA police station, resulting in an FIR being registered under IPC sections 417, 465, and 471 for cheating and forgery.

Following Moneycontrol's report, several cab users nationwide took to social media to report similar incidents in cities such as New Delhi and Hyderabad.

Five victims, all Ola and Uber passengers, who have Moneycontrol spoke to, attested to Gowda using a fake Rs 5,194 screenshot to charge them many times over the actual fare. All victims were picked up by the same driver at the Bengaluru airport Ola/Uber zone between June 2023 and January 2024.

KIA has dedicated pick-up zones for Ola and Uber, where passengers receive confirmations and OTP/PINs upon booking a ride. Exploiting the anonymity provided by these zones, the driver seamlessly executed the scam for months. He often cancelled or did not initiate trips on the app, showing passengers a fake screenshot at the trip's conclusion, while their apps displayed unfulfilled or canceled rides. At the time of filing this report, cab aggregators were unavailable for comment.

Also read: MC Investigation: How a Bengaluru cab driver used a fake fare screenshot to scam airport passengers