Bengaluru Woman Foils Fake Payment Scam By Ola Driver, Shares Post On Reddit

A Bengaluru woman recently recounted her ordeal on Reddit about escaping a fake payment scam by an Ola driver. Reddit user @Whyshnahwe described encountering a driver who allegedly attempted to scam her with a fake payment screenshot. The post highlights the importance of passenger vigilance when using ride-sharing services and following established payment procedures.

In her lengthy post on Reddit, the woman shared that she needed to attend coaching classes in Wilson Garden and had booked an Ola cab for the journey and opted for cash payment. “The journey was uneventful. To end the trip, he took his phone from the holder to the side. I was busy collecting my bag,” she recounted. “After a minute he told ‘Madam, amount 749 aagidhe’ (Madam, the fare is 749)” and showed me his phone.” 

To her shock, the fare shown was significantly higher than the approximately Rs. 254 she had confirmed on the app.

“I told him this and the dude also acted shocked. He was like it could be the Ola money dues. He told me to pay him the 749 rupees and then complain in the app.” she continued. It was at this point that she requested to inspect the driver’s phone herself. “I noticed the Ola app still running in the background (you know, the little circle logo on the side of the screen). I confirmed that this was not the actual amount and that he was showing me some random screenshot,” she explained. “I didn’t utter a single word. I just tapped the logo and the app opened. I saw that he hadn’t ended the trip yet.”

Despite the driver’s actions, the woman remained vigilant, recognizing the situation and holding her ground. “I asked if I could see again. He didn’t hand over the phone this time but just showed me the phone. I quickly swiped the red “End Trip” bar on the bottom of the app and said ‘Hinge end maadodhu alva sir” (This is how we end it, right sir?)”

See the post here:

Rare W.
byu/Whyshnahwe inbangalore

Her post quickly caught internet users’ attention. Netizens praised the woman for her quick actions. 

A user wrote, “The scams are evolving. Good, you didn’t fall for it and thanks for sharing it. I am impressed with the driver’s skills to come up with these scams.”

Another user wrote, “I have fallen for it yesterday. The driver showed me his bill was 1946 but my uber receipt was showing 678. Had to pay him since he was making a scene and I had my sick parent with me.”

“This is an on-going Scam, please be aware and always check your screen after end of trip. And keep taking required screenshots or pics of driver details,” the third user commented.