Fake Uber App Used to Overcharge Passengers at Bengaluru Airport Taxi Scam

In Bengaluru, a man has uncovered a fraud involving the Uber app, but overcharging touts and exposing the city's travel & tourism industry.

The city’s Bengaluru is known for its traffic jams, and most Bengalureans are hooked on ride-sharing apps like Uber and Ola. A recent post that a man named Mahesh made, however, brought everyone's attention to a new type of scam targeting travelers’ incoming the city.

Social media post by Mahesh stated how he almost became a victim of an overcharging scam. According to Mahesh, a taxi driver at Kempegowda International Airport adopted a version of the Uber app known as "Blumeter" in order to charge him Rs 1000 more on his fare. The driver was showing a personalization of the Uber-like app where he put an extra fee in the guise of GST, and when Mahesh called for a bill, he said the system was faulty, and he will send it via email next month.

Disbelief shared by Mahesh: "What an inventive new scam by @BLRAirport taxi today. This dude showed me an exact replica of @Uber app when he started and ended the trip with 1000 bucks extra baked in."

Fake app interface with high charges and then a flawed "explanation" upon confrontation is the way this fraud works. Mahesh's post quickly caught on social media, with others also unrelated to him voicing similar experiences.

Many also asked why airport taxis should use apps when they are supposed to work with ordinary meters. This incident has started a debate requiring more regulation in the traveling and tourism sector in Bengaluru, with a few users calling for printed receipts and better checks at the airport.