Bengaluru Man Claims Taxi Drivers At Airport Use Fake Apps To Overcharge Passengers – News18

Last Updated:December 17, 2024, 4:47 PM IST

A Bengaluru man shared a post about taxi drivers at the airport using fake apps to overcharge passengers.

A Bengaluru man recently shared about an unusual scam where he claimed that taxi drivers are using fake apps to overcharge customers. Mahesh took to social media platform X to warn others about this “inventive scam” he encountered at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. In his post, Mahesh explained that he had booked a cab from the airport and everything initially seemed normal. But the driver used an app called Blumeter which looks nearly identical to the Uber app to start the trip. It was only after reaching his destination that Mahesh realised something was off when he was charged an additional Rs 1,000.

“What an inventive new scam by BLR Airport taxi today. This dude showed me an exact replica of the Uber app when he started and ended the trip with 1000 bucks extra baked in. Said the extra is because of GST and when I asked for the bill he said I’ll get it next month. So cute,” he wrote in his post. However, Mahesh pointed out that the driver had never asked for his email address or phone number.

Mahesh further explained how the scam operates, writing, “They use an Android app called Blumeter which looks like Uber. They’ll show & click the trip start button to build credibility. And then later, they’ll end the trip on the same app which shows a much higher amount.”

When asked for a proper bill, he mentioned that the drivers dodge questions and cite tec

hni

cal issues. “If you ask for a proper bill – they’ll say the billing system is broken currently. You’ll get the bill by email next month,” Mahesh wrote.

He also shared a picture of the taxi and the driver involved in the scam along with a screenshot of the Blumeter app available on the Google Play Store.

Mahesh’s post gained significant attention online, with many social media users sharing their reactions in the comment section. One user jokingly wrote, “Bill next month? That’s just their way of saying, we believe in long-term customer relationships.”

Another, sharing their experience, wrote, “I booked an actual airport taxi from T2 through the staff, with a metered rate, yet I ended up paying almost Rs 800 more than estimated cost with no way to verify for it. I kept thinking that I had been scammed but I had no energy to look into it and was just happy to be home.”

“New scams come up every day in India, the government, police and judiciary fail to make it a safe place for citizens,” a person commented.

An individual remarked, “Another day, another method of scamming,” while someone else added, “New scam alert!! It’s happening more these days.”

The post has accumulated more than 4 lakh views so far.