Man duped by Uber driver with fake screenshot, warns others to stay vigilant
A Delhi man fell victim to a fraudulent Uber driver who presented a fake screenshot to charge double the fare for a ride from IGI Airport to his home.
The incident, shared widely on Reddit, serves as a cautionary tale for passengers to remain vigilant when using app-based cab services.
Upon reaching his destination, the driver demanded ₹648, almost double the fare displayed on the app at the time of booking, citing wait charges despite no traffic encountered during the trip.
Although suspicious, the passenger avoided confrontation late at night and paid the amount. However, he took a photo of the driver’s phone screen displaying the payment details before leaving.
The next day, upon analyzing the photo, the passenger discovered discrepancies such as misspelled names and two Uber app icons. Upon checking the app, he found that the driver had only collected ₹127.48 for the ride.
The passenger reported the incident to Uber customer care and received a partial refund, confirming his suspicion of being deceived by the driver.
The victim shared his experience to alert others, emphasizing the importance of paying only the amount shown on the app and not a rupee extra, except for tips.
He speculated that the driver used a spoof app to fabricate payment information and employed distraction techniques during the ride to appear trustworthy.
Several users shared similar experiences, saying that they too have been a victim of the ‘fake screenshot scam’, where drivers use fake apps to overcharge.
In response a user said, ”Ahhh I get it, that way they could easily scam people with fake screens, we people really need to be aware of this scam and always wiggle around the screen to check the authenticity.’
Another user commented, ”Quite unfortunate. 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.”
Someone wrote, ”Uber drivers generally inside Delhi is fine but the Uber driver outside IGI Airport is scamming a lot of people including tourists, they show fake payment screenshots and when questioned they say it’s parking charges.
The incident underscores the need for passengers to exercise caution and verify payment details, especially when dealing with unfamiliar drivers or unusual fare discrepancies.
